Wild Blueberries
by theSoundofLiterature
Summary: Quinn smolders with love for Rachel Berry. It's the summer before Senior year and she flounders before finding the love that she's always needed.
1. Chapter 1

Quinn was lying on her back in the study of her house.

She often came down here when she needed to think, and with her father constantly being out of town, she had claimed the location as her own at a relatively young age. Tonight she was lying down with her back against the large solid cherry wood desk, attempting to sooth her inflamed skin with the reassuring coolness of the grain. Her tank top was stuck to her back, and sticky from her sweat as she blew cool air against her neck with a mini-fan. Her brow furrowed as with each breath she took she inhaled the thick Ohio summer air that wafted in from the open bay window.

She would often bring her iPod down and hook it up to her father's stereo system while she thought, but somehow the humidity and the heat had addled her brain functions – and so tonight she settled for whatever her father had stashed in his CD case. Looking through it, at the old Beatles and Beach Boys records, she fell upon the "Etta James: Greatest Hits" album that she had found at a Lima garage sale when she was 7.

She scoffed at the memory. She was absolutely mesmerized by the caramel colored picturesque woman on the cover, and out of all of the ratty cassettes she had flung to the side while scouring in that box – that was the one she wanted. That was the first thing that Quinn had ever bought on her own, it cost 10 cents; Quinn used the dollar she had been given that morning for ice-cream in order to buy it. It scorched her sweaty skin addictively as she rollerbladed home with it, tucked safely in her back pocket.

Upon bringing it home she turned it on, and melted into the music. She was hypnotized as the raspy caramel voice behind the song came sifting through her ear canals. It wasn't until a few hours later when her father had called her for dinner and she hadn't come, that she would begin to see the world in dualities: yes and now, right and wrong, black and white. It was a memory that would ingrain itself in her subconscious henceforth.

"What are you listening to, Quinnie?" He was tall – and he had been standing at her doorway silently. She handed him the cassette cover tentatively. He looked at it, and scoffed,

"You know we don't listen to devil music in this house."

Quinn looked away from her father then, almost afraid. Afraid of what? She didn't know. When she turned back around he was gone, and he had taken her token of grace with him... she never even tried to go looking for it after that, and who would blame her?

And alas, here it was all along. In her safe-haven, where it had always been. She popped it in to the old system and let it play. And that was when Quinn climbed atop her father's desk and melted into the music as her skin trembled with heat and salty sweat.

"_Something told me, it was over (Yeah). _

_When I saw you and her talking._

_Something deep down in my soul said, "cry girl…" _

The lyrics that she would never have never understood at the age of 7, somehow held a profound depth that all she could do was embrace.

"_I would rather, I would rather go blind boy,_

_Than to see you walk away from me child. _

_So you see, I love you so much _

_That I don't want to watch you leave me, baby. _

_Most of all I just don't, _

_I just don't want to be free, no."_

Quinn tilted her head to the side and closed her languid lashes as she melted into the rhythm; her mini fan still whirring cool air against her dewy skin. As she began to drift off into her own lethargy there was a scuffle by the window. The heat was too thick, and her muscles were too slack to do anything else but turn her head toward the noise, opening her hazel eyes, already knowing whom the intruder was.

"Hi San."

She mumbled through tongue-slackened lips, they too had become dry in the heat. Santana was making her way through the open study window and now she was slumping her weight into the large overgrown desk chair alongside Quinn. She was wearing boyfriend ripped jeans and a black tank top, her skin was shiny with perspiration.

"Give me that fucking fan."

Santana was never one for niceties or hellos; she always seemed to get straight to the point. And Quinn had always loved that about her. They had been friends ever since she transferred from Fairbrook. The summer before freshman year they both were at Cheerios summer pre-camp. Santana was already well known among the younger girls, her and Brittany were everything most people aspired to be. Not Quinn, she was on a mission: to not only make the Cheerios as a freshman, but to reign as WMHS queen bee while she did it.

Only, Santana had always seen her for who she really was; a smart girl with a pretty smile and a beautiful face - just trying to fit in like everyone else. And somehow, they worked…their unholy trinity of sorts. Quinn learned things about Santana, and Santana held onto secrets about Quinn, while Brittany was their shared token of promise and grace. Santana loved Brittany fiercely – it was as if she was transcribed with love for the blonde since before birth. Quinn envied them, oh did she envy that love.

The past year had been strenuous on their trifecta. When Quinn got pregnant, it changed everything. They stopped hanging out, Santana ridiculed her in public; and Quinn cried herself to sleep too many times to count. But what most of their fellow friends didn't realize was that Santana _was_ there. She had made a habit of sneaking into Quinn's study all of last school year before Quinn got kicked out of her house. Quinn would cry herself to sleep and Santana would sit there, she wouldn't speak. But her presence was enough.

When Quinn moved into first Finn's house, then Puck's, then Mercedes' – Santana snuck in. She would send the weary blonde texts that were seemingly random and sometimes cruel; but it was just Santana's way of loving her back. It was a friendship for the both of them, built on faulty truths and little physicality. Physicality was what Brittany was for – Santana was never one for public or even private displays of emotion, she just was.

And here the two of them were a year later. Still friends – but different somehow: although their system had never changed.

Here Santana was, without call or hesitation at 11:30pm, sneaking into Quinn's study, just to be there on this sweltering Lima evening. The song had changed since Santana had arrived, and now "A Sunday Kind of Love" was making its way through the room. Quinn sighed as she dropped her lashes.

"_I want a Sunday kind of love,_

_A love to last past Saturday night,_

_And I-I-I'd like to know _

_It's more than love at first sight,_

_I want a Sunday kind of love..."_

"I'll need that fan back soon, San."

Santana scoffed. "Never loser. Finders fucking keepers."

Quinn rolled her eyes, "Bullshit, you stole it from me. There's a difference."

Santana smirked as she fanned herself rigorously with the little appliance. "Not in my book there isn't."

Quinn exhaled sharply and turned her head away in agitation, letting the lyrics of Etta James flow over her hot skin.

"And, on that note. What is this fucking music you're listening to anyway, honestly it feels like a morgue in here." Santana was so charming, Quinn thought sarcastically as she rolled her eyes between half lids.

"You're such a douche-bag." Quinn quipped. Santana was stretching out her tank top and fanning her midriff underneath as she replied. "And you love me for it. No but really who is this?"

"Etta James. I found it once at a garage sale when I was little. I haven't heard it since I was about 7 or 8 and decided to play it." Santana was still fanning herself absentmindedly while she made insulting puppy dog eyes. "Aww how sweet, Quinnie."

"Whatever."

Santana loved their friendship – she did. But lately she was noticing that Quinn was crawling back into whatever shell she had recently began to slowly recede from. It was heart breaking. She watched Quinn, and studied her; taking note of the nights she would cry herself to sleep silently wishing no one could hear or question her. She caught the questing glances through the hallways at a particular brunette. She could hear the strain in Quinn's voice with every snarky remark she uttered nowadays – they were never meant, and almost always instantly regretted. Something was wrong with her Quinn – she wasn't okay. And so that's why Santana kept coming back, she needed to be there because aside from Brittany no one else could be – and frankly no one else fucking cared.

Santana sat up purposefully in the large ornate chair. The fan tracing a pattern of cool breeze against her melting skin; she furrowed her brows and braced herself, because if she didn't ask Quinn now, would she ever find the courage to ask her again?

"Turtle..."

Quinn looked up from her desk and leveled her hazel freckled eyes with Santana's. The dark haired Latina was staring back up at her – with, something akin to resolve brewing beneath her purposeful eyes. Quinn heard her nickname and instantly met eyes with the resolute girl.

When they were fourteen in summer cheer camp Brittany decided that she needed to give her two best friends their own special terms of endearment – names that no one else would know or connect too. And instead of re-using recycled words, Brittany created her own terms: and inadvertently she and Santana had been named after rather unremarkable inanimate objects: Turtle, Bug, and Waffles. But the name was one that sparked fervor in her – and she answered to it every time with love and fondness.

"Bug… This has to be the beginning of a serious conversation if you're resorting back to our old cheer camp names." Quinn smiled softly, and laid her head back down against the wood, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. It never reached her eyes anymore.

"This is important Q."

"Fine."

"You have to tell her Turtle. I won't always be here to crawl into your room every night and pick up the broken pieces. I watch you – I watch her."

Quinn rolled her eyes in faux indifference as she turned her face away from Santana, secretly hoping that her face wouldn't give away her utter lack of emotional resolve.

"Stop Bug, I don't know what you're talking about." Always the denial type Santana thought. And it angered her; it lit fire to whatever she was always holding back for Quinn's sake. And she had just doused that fire with god damn lighter fluid – and now she was burning. And she was burning like kerosene.

"God Damn Bullshit Q, and you know it! You need to fix whatever it is that's broken or else you won't ever be okay – you'll always be broken. And I can't sit around and watch you fucking flounder Q. I won't do it."

Quinn's chin began to tremble against her uttermost protests. Her resolve was crumbling like the walls of Jericho. Her sweaty palms clutched at polished wood not finding purchase. And her eyes squeezed shut hoping to dam the flood of tears that was so close; too close. She couldn't fall apart. She couldn't fall apart. She couldn't fall apart.

"Rachel Berry, Quinn – I know. I've always known. And you need to tell her. Do it, or I will. I can't watch you drown yourself anymore – I can't be your life vest forever. And I don't deserve to be."

She fell apart. She opened her cloudy eyes and didn't flinch as the tears followed. They ran down her flushed cheeks, and ignited the sweaty heat they found there as they trickled down cheeks and neck. Hot skin.

She loved Rachel Berry, she had since she was fourteen – but god, was she lost. She wasn't gay. She needed to let her go. She couldn't. Her heart cracked open, and she wept, she wept as her comfort and affection handicapped friend watched her from a bowed head from a few feet away. And she clutched at her sweaty skin, hoping for a goddamn release that wouldn't come.

6


	2. Chapter 2

Quinn heard her before she saw her. The door latched and shook as someone opened it before closing in on itself. "Hello?" The voice of her dreams; it carried on the air particles as the sound waves breached her eardrums, she sighed and instantly relaxed. Rachel Berry was in her home. Rachel Berry was in her home. In her home. Rachel Berry was home.

Quinn inclined her head as she heard the voice of her mother call out through the foyer, welcoming the brunette visitor warmly into the House of Fabray. "Hi, you must be Rachel! The girls are all waiting for you out in the back by the pool. Just follow Lupe, she'll lead the way for you." Quinn tensed at the near proximity. She could almost feel Rachel's thuds as she stepped further into the house, walking purposefully to the back patio door. "I can't do it" Quinn thought, her heart palpitated freely against her constricted chest and the sun was instantly too hot.

"I need air. Santana this is your entire fault. I can't breathe." Quinn groaned out load mostly to herself as she clutched at shiny porcelain skin. Brittany was lying across from her on a beach towel, playing with a ladybug on her finger; she looked up from her recreational activity and squinted into the sunlight at Quinn's worried expression.

"Hi, Turtle. You're outside…did you stop breathing again?"

Quinn covered her face with her palm as the footsteps drew closer to their location. She squirmed in her chaise. Santana smiled wickedly from her towel beside Brittany – her dark shades covered the intent behind her eyes as she concentrated nonchalantly on her Cosmo magazine. She arched an eyebrow,

"No Brittany, Q's fine. She's just doing underwater breathing exercises…" Santana talked as she scanned over a page with perfume on it. Brittany squinted at Quinn again.

"But, I thought you said it was cause Turtle was having a panic attack because you invited Rachel…?" Quinn groaned again before Santana could answer, she scurried quickly out of her lounge chair and hurried to the diving board.

She didn't think twice before flexing her calves and diving down into the blue crystalline water. It was cool. And it was quiet down there. The pounding in her eardrums relaxed, and her body flushed with a chill. She sighed inwardly as she stroked underwater – feeling it move against her sleek body. Her head breached the surface, and she hurried and followed it with her hands and arms, wiping the chlorine and water out of her dripping eyes as she leveled. And then she set eyes on her. Rachel Berry was staring right back at her. Ochre brown eyes locked on her fluid form as Quinn froze in the water. And then Santana broke the spell.

"Hairy Berry's finally decided to show her face. Isn't that swell Q?"

There was a smirk gracing Santana's lips as she spoke. Quinn grimaced right back at her. – And then she turned her eyes and found Rachel's again. The little brunette was wearing denim cut off shorts and flip-flops with a simple gray tank top. Her legs were divine. Quinn trailed up them slowly, marveling at their beauty before settling on the edges of Rachel's shorts at her thigh. Why didn't Rachel look that hot at school? Quinn burned, her skin scorched although she was immersed in water. She needed a reprieve – she shook her head almost unnoticeably before nodding to Rachel, and then she dove back underwater, hoping to cool her burning skin.

"I thought you said this was a pool party Brittany, where is everybody? "

Rachel interjected. She was still standing awkwardly at the patio deck, unsure of where to go. If she should walk over to sit with Santana and Brittany or simply stand where she was, hopelessly sneaking glances at a particularly unfazed yet gorgeous Quinn Fabray as she swam.

All if it was unbearably confusing for the brunette. To begin, it was summertime – school was out, and there was no point in Santana and Brittany and most of all Quinn to even want to talk to her now that Glee Club was in summer hiatus. And so, with obvious clarity it confused her to her vey core when three days prior she had received a text message from one Brittany S. Pierce:

"**Hi. Santana told me 2 txt u that ur sppsd 2 cum to r pool prty at Q's." – Brittany**

Rachel had been in the middle of re-organizing her playbill collection at the time of the text, but she was left utterly speechless upon its arrival. Both for the fact that Brittany Pierce had her number, and secondly because she couldn't understand a word that the blonde had written; honestly what the heck was "sppsd" meant to mean anyway? Oddly enough Rachel texted back out of sheer, unadulterated curiosity – and to find out what "sppsd" meant.

"_What? I apologize but I failed to grasp much of what your intention to say was. And who is Q? Is that some weird mystery man or character? Is this like Sherlock Holmes! … And what is 'sppsd?' " – RB_

Rachel was confused. This had to be the beginning of some cruel joke. Why on earth else would the three members of the unholy trinity of Lima, Ohio be ushering her to a pool party at the Queen of said trifecta's house. She was going to die. And then her phone buzzed again in her clammy hand. She jumped and tried to withhold a squeal.

"**Huh, Idgi? Anywy Q is Quinn. She wants u her pool prty on Sat." – Brittany**

"_Quinn. As in Quinn Fabray? I'm invited to her pool party on Saturday? …Why would you all go through all of this trouble to invite me? Quinn Fabray HATES me…. I think." – RB _

Rachel grimaced at the text and then hit SEND. But it was a valid question wasn't it? The blonde was gorgeous – anyone with eyes could be held witness to that universal truth, but there was a layer to Quinn that terrified the brunette: sure the blonde was snarky, vindictive, and downright bitchy. But Rachel was always the one to hold claim to the layer beyond the layer – the plaster beneath the veneer: in reality Quinn was just passionate, and she was sensitive, and she lacked confidence. And Rachel saw through that façade every day. The blonde was becoming an open book. Well, as open as a book like Quinn Fabray could be.

"**Yea, anyway…Santana hates u. But why wld Q hate you? She nvr htd u. She thinks ur neat. Come to the prty! It's 4. Me n San, n Q n stuff will all be there Blueberry! Ok, thnx byeee xoxox – Brittany **

Blueberry? That was weird. And it was even weirder that Brittany made it seem like Quinn actually liked her. No matter how true that statement could be it definitely didn't translate into real life circumstances or interactions. Rachel sighed and then jumped again as her phone went off yet another time. The number was different, and Rachel gulped against her will before reading the message.

"**Ur coming to Q's on Saturday man hands – Brittany already planned stuff for u 2 do, so ur gonna fucking show or prepare 2 die Barbra. Deuces – SLO"**

The gulp was not in vain. Santana Lopez was a goddamn demon – and now Rachel didn't have a choice. She would be going to Quinn Fabray's house on Saturday at 4 in the evening for a pool party. Joy, joy, joy. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

And that was the initial stage that led her to exactly where she was standing now. In her bathing suit and shorts and tank top looking over the Fabray's back yard and falling to pieces behind the scrutinizing gazes of the unholy trifecta. Santana didn't look up at Rachel's questioning stance and ignored her. Brittany however jumped up, and ran over to Rachel's side – hugging the small brunette.

"I'm so glad you made it Blueberry," Brittany smiled brilliantly down at Rachel, and Rachel smiled back. How could she not at a welcome like that?

"Hi…Brittany. So, where did everyone go? Is there a game station set farther out back? Did you provide musical entertainment Quinn?" Brittany furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. It was completely endearing.

"What is she talking about Turtle?" Quinn had reemerged from the cool water, her skin much more tolerable now as her breathing steadied. She stared at the brunette from her perch at the edge of the pool. God she was breath taking.

"Turtle?" Quinn snapped her eyes away from Rachel and blushed under the heat. She managed to clear her throat and answer the two of them quietly.

"It's just us four. It's more of a get together. Santana's idea." And at the utterance of Santana's name Quinn's tone dragged deeper in annoyance. And she snuck a glance over to the manipulative little firecracker sitting on her beach towel. Santana looked up from beneath her shades and gave an air kiss in Quinn's direction. She scowled in return. Goddamn fucking Santana.

Rachel looked up at Quinn then, and the two of them locked eyes. Rachel blushed and skirted her vision away – landing on a tree in the distance; it would be her safe spot- because she had to stop staring at Quinn Fabray. The blonde was addictive, and she was leaning against the inside ledge of the pool; her shoulders and upper back snaking out of jet blue water as her hair ran sleek and beautifully down her back into small ripples. Her skin was beaded with water droplets as she stood there – and Rachel couldn't help but sneak glances out of the corners of her eyes. It was like a mild drug – a beautiful, blonde, unforgettable drug.

"Oh. Well thanks for inviting me…" Rachel finished before Brittany grabbed her hand and dragged her over to the towels where Santana was sitting. Quinn smiled in return from her safe haven in the pool. And this time, whilst staring back at those big brown eyes— This time, her smile was real. Oh, was it real.

A few hours later found the four of them lying in the grass by the swimming pool in their bathing suits playing Egyptian Rat screw. It was one of Brittany's favorite games, and Santana loved it because Brittany loved it (probably also because she got to slap people for fun). It was an odd moment for Quinn. If you had told her four days ago as she lay sprawled across her father's desk in his study that she would be playing a card game at her house with Rachel Berry, San and Britt she would have laughed in your face – and then probably hit you for good measure. But here they were.

Santana was surly – she was losing, badly. And Quinn couldn't help but beam inside as she witnessed Rachel Berry's insane Egyptian Rat screw prowess.

_SMACK._ "Sandwich!" Rachel squealed as she firmly smacked the growing pile of cards that lay between them.

"That was not a fucking sandwich, Berry-licious. I'm checking the pile." Santana was tense and angry – the Latina hated losing in any capacity. Brittany snatched the pile away quickly before Santana could grab hold of it and she set it back into Rachel's hands.

"It was a sandwich Bug, look – Ace, ten, Ace, sandwich." Santana growled. Literally, before scooting back on her heels and standing up on her tan feet. She mumbled something along the lines of: "If she likes sandwiches so much…fucking knuckle sandwich." Before flipping her hair to the side and walking towards the patio doors to go into the house.

"Bug! Where are you going?" Brittany called after her curiously. Her lip pouted at the interruption of the game. Santana looked back and her hard eyes softened to malleable orbs of brown– She extended a warm hand and Brittany got up to grab it.

"Just going inside to make a sandwich. All that talk made me hungry Waff." Brittany giggled, and interlaced their fingers.

"I'll go with you bug. Can we have PB&J?" Santana turned on her heel, fingers intertwined with her love's as she nodded her head.

"Of course, Waff. I love PB & J."

And then the two of them were gone into the house. Leaving Quinn and Rachel outside in the grass to pick up the pieces of a forgotten card game.

Quinn sighed and lay back in the grass – she curled her arms around the back of her head as she stared up into the dwindling sunset; the oranges and reds and purples warming her from the inside out. Dusk was always her favorite time of day – it was her heavenly sanctuary on earth's realm.

"Are we going to finish the game?" Rachel inclined her head. She hated leaving projects unattended – it made her antsy.

"Nuh Uh." Quinn turned her head and looked up at Rachel. The brunette looked defeated as she scooped up all of the wayward card piles and shuffled them all back into the box. Quinn chuckled at the sight – Rachel looked like a little girl just then. And she was radiant against the refracted light of the Lima sunset.

"Hey Q-Qui … I mean, do you know why Brittany calls me Blueberry? I mean, the phrase is quite clever and ultimately endearing – but I was just curious."

The girl was rambling. And what was that? She couldn't even say Quinn Fabray's name out loud. She swallowed dryly – marveling in her embarrassment, and complete lack of composure. The blonde looked up at her and steeled her eyes. There was something there Rachel noted – another layer to the puzzle slowly unlocking. What did she see in those hazel eyes – was it passion?

"Brittany gives everyone she cares about a nickname – and it's usually something that's incredibly special to her and no one else. Like Santana, her name is Bug; short for Lady Bug – Lady Bugs are Brittany's favorite animal. When we were fourteen, I tried to tell her that ladybugs weren't really animals but insects. I remember Britt cried for days - and so I took it back, naturally. And…Santana has been Bug ever since." Rachel smiled at the thought.

"And what about you? What does she call you?"

Rachel ducked her eyes again – not out of embarrassment this time, but as she looked at Quinn she was simply enraptured with the blonde's beauty and it stilled her. Was that what being bashful felt like? Rachel didn't know what to make of it at all.

"Turtle." Quinn didn't elaborate or explain this time like she had with Santana. She picked at a dandelion and blew its seeds out into the open evening air – watching them swirl and spin against the breeze. Rachel didn't think the blonde would answer her, and so she turned back to her hands – praying for an end to the silence before Quinn spoke again. This time, the blonde's voice was soft and quiet – Rachel had to strain to hear every syllable.

"My name is Turtle because I'm smart, and I'm passionate – but I tend to fail to make my mark indelible. Or, in other words – I'm slow when it comes to opening myself up to people. I wait, and I wait – and if you're lucky, I just might speed up the pace, but I'm almost never the one to make it to the finish line along with everyone else."

"Wow. That, That's beautiful Quinn." At the sound of her name on the lips of the brunette beside her, Quinn fell apart. Her heart burst open again, but this time with unyielding love and caring for the small girl sitting next to her.

"What about Waff? Why do you call Brittany that…and why am I Blueberry?"

Quinn smiled at the swell of her heart beating against her solid chest.

"Firstly – Brittany loves waffles, hence, waffle. Secondly, blueberries are my favorite fruit – I have a feeling Brittany did more than name you out of coincidence."

And with that Quinn sat up and averted her gaze. Did she just say that last bit out loud? She definitely didn't mean to. But the look that Rachel had given her simply terrified her. The little diva was silent, and her eyes had widened, her lips slackened slightly as she stared right back at Quinn's petrified face. And then Rachel smiled, her brilliant -true as the air that I breathe- smile directly at Quinn, and she beamed. A small hand enclosed around another, and Rachel scooted closer, staring now at the burgeoning sunset before them.

"I love blueberries too Quinn."

And Quinn could have collapsed right then and there had it not been for the small hand anchoring her to the ground. Goddamn fucking Santana and her scheming ways. – She would have to thank the Latina now – she had a beginning.

7


	3. Chapter 3

A few text messages here and a few text messages there; their friendship was a freight train collision of inevitability; their mutual care for one another would be their undoing, and all that would be left would be themselves; Young and unforgiving.

Quinn's heart raced—she loved Rachel Berry. She loved Rachel Berry. She loved Rachel Berry. And in the final throes of the month of June that was simply enough. Their friendship was complicated – there were lingering touches over treacherous skin in the dark or against the earth, but no touch was long enough, smooth enough or permanent enough. Quinn found herself on a high precipice, walking on eggshells. How do you tell the love of your life that you love them – and how do you keep a friendship despite those odds?

At moments like these, Quinn sought sanctuary in her father's study. Large ornate modeling, canvased crème colored walls and framed prints of notable cartography works. She clicked on the stereo system and hit play on the cassette. That voice—like smooth honey, rang out and reached deep into Quinn's central core—"sing to me, Etta" Quinn thought as she slumped down into a heap on the rug.

It was another sweltering day in Ohio. And the humidity was stifling. Quinn wiped at her cheeks and forehead with unremarkable success. Her tank top clung to her skin like a second nature; she reached perspiring arms across her torso and shimmied out of her top. An Exhale as the warm air hit bare skin. Lying back on the rug, she curled up into a ball of heat before her phone rang. She picked it up and closed her eyes, placing the device next to her ear as she breathed in hot, sticky air.

"Hi, Quinn?" It was Rachel. Her eyes shot open and became frantic, she clutched blindly for the phone, finally finding it and dragging it closer to her ear, getting as close to her unforgettable voice as physically possible.

"Rachel…hi." Quinn sighed at the utterance of her name. It was a marker on her tongue, and whenever she spoke it she fell apart under its weight.

"Hi, I was just calling because I was curious as to what you had planned for the day? I'm kind of bored, and I wanted to find something to do… but, never mind it's all right – you don't have to hang out with me. Just forget that I even calle-,"

Quinn smiled, the little diva was nervous. Her fears and insecurities were almost tangible through the phone line. She cut her off before she could change her mind.

"No, Rachel. I, Uh…I'm not busy. What do you want to do?"

"I mean, just forget about it, I'm just gonna hang out at ho- …wait? You want to hang out with me?" The phone line between the two girls was silent, and Quinn could feel her nerves bubbling up within her chest, she exhaled inwardly.

"Yea…of course Blue." The giddiness in Quinn's chest seemed to rile up and expand with soft, welcome pressure. She loved that girl, and she would do anything for her. Anything in the world to make up for her past wrongs – and hanging out together as friends, it was a start. And it's what Quinn needed. It stilled her aching heart, and it made lonely nights a little bit more bearable – it made her feel like she was worth something; and that somehow in the grander scheme of things, she mattered. To someone, she mattered.

"Great! I'll head over to your house. Is now ok? I can be there in like fifteen minutes, ten if I take the short cut through the park. Whatever suits you!" Quinn smiled, and closed her eyes, letting her long chestnut lashes fall against her cheeks – she felt weightless at that moment. And Rachel was her anchor.

"Don't worry about it kid, I'll see you soon." Quinn hung up the receiver and smiled. Her smiles were reaching her eyes a lot more these days she thought quietly as Etta James crooned over her, latching on to all of the unsaid feelings that she so divinely felt.

Quinn had nodded off in her sleep. And she woke up to the sound of the door to the study opening quietly. "She usually hides in here whenever she's home. Oh, there she is. Have fun girls." Quinn could hear her mother's receding voice as footsteps padded along down the stairs from whence they came – and now she looked up to face a beautiful, smiling Rachel Berry looking down at her wilted form.

"Hi, Blue." Quinn muttered lazily as she fell back against the floor. Rachel smiled at her again, and her cheeks were rosy – was the brunette blushing? Quinn quirked an eyebrow at the thought, and then placed a hand at her collarbone, scratching a faint itch - and that's when she realized she wasn't wearing a shirt. She was lying on the floor of the study in a bra and denim cut-up shorts. Her skin was prickly and irritated from clinging wetly to the rug beneath her and she grimaced. God, this was embarrassing. She scrambled fumbling fingers around the floor, hoping to find her discarded shirt before she could embarrass herself any further.

"Sorry, It's hot." Quinn muttered begrudgingly as she continued to fumble. Rachel laughed then. It was brilliant and effervescent and everything Quinn hoped it would be. And then Quinn stopped fumbling, and she simply smiled back. Laughing now at herself as the music continued to play on the stereo system.

"It's sweltering. Isn't there AC in here?" Rachel quipped before plopping herself down at Quinn's side. Her bare shoulder only inches away from Quinn's scorching one. She took a deep breath. Calm, calm, calm.

"Nah, dad isn't really ever home, and he hates spending money on AC because the temperature changes give him colds or something. But I don't know, I don't mind it. It feels like a little mini- sauna." Quinn laughed, Rachel smirked.

"An insufferable, stuffy, gross study- sauna." Quinn hit Rachel's small arm playfully, tsk-ing her tongue against the roof of her mouth in mock indignation. The girls laughed together on the floor – and it was all the fun that Quinn and Rachel needed. Once the laughter died, Quinn traced a small pattern on the against the rug.

"I should probably find my shirt." She laughed. Rachel met her gaze and smiled back. The brunette was fond of the blonde – let's face it, she was completely enamored with her. Their growing ease of interaction since the pool party a week ago was addicting, and Rachel needed the proximity to feel complete. She was beginning to long for those fleeting glances, and the unanswered questions. She needed to feel the heat of Quinn's simple touch to burn her insides apart, and she loved it. The feeling was unforgettable – and it was something she'd never experienced before. Rachel was drawn to the blonde like a magnet. And it was irresistible.

"It's hot, I don't mind. We can stay here and just hang out. That way you don't have to think about getting dressed or anything, and I can listen to this amazing Etta James album with you over and over again."

Quinn blushed. She turned her eyes away from the diva - if she hadn't she would have kissed her right then and there. And that wouldn't do, not yet. Instead she fought hand over fist for composure and turned her face back around to stare at Rachel's equally flushed one and smiled,

"I didn't know you liked Etta James." Rachel gasped, then clutched a hand to her chest at the exclamation.

"Quinn Fabray. Etta James is a true diva, and a legend of classic soul, blues, and R&B. A true performer knows of all the greats and respects them - and Etta James my pretty blonde friend, is a great." Rachel beamed at her and laughed.

And then she paused. Had she just announced that she thought Quinn was pretty out loud? Firstly the statement was a lie – Quinn was far from pretty, she was stunning, a radiant star among dull orbs. And secondly, was that too much? Friendship was all Rachel could ask for now with this newfound Quinn, but she couldn't resist the fact that she craved more – she needed more. Quinn blushed further, and she was pretty sure her flush was creeping down her neck and collarbone – the mark of the fair toned.

"Are you blushing Blueberry?" Quinn teased, her smirk was evident. Rachel smiled bashfully, the rosiness of her olive cheeks only deepening. It was a cruel cycle.

"Well, you are pretty Quinn. You're the prettiest girl in the entire school – Simply stating the facts." Rachel said under baited breath. She was smiling but her chest was tense, and her mouth had gone dry. Quinn swallowed dryly. She loved the brunette even more. And she was happy – so happy in that moment just sitting there on the floor of her father's study with her.

"No…I'm not the prettiest girl in the school by far." Rachel quirked up her eyebrows, ready to protest the blonde's statement but was cut off by a steady finger to her wrist, stilling her immediately. Quinn was looking curiously at her now. The blonde's brows were furrowed and her lips were pressed together in thought. She looked as if she was struggling for purchase on a slippery slope, and Rachel grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly – simply giving her the resolve that she needed.

"The most gorgeous girl in the world goes to McKinley, and I'm not her. Right now, that girl is sitting next to me – and I can only dream of inhabiting some of her beauty for myself because she's so bright. She's like the sun, and I could stare into her eyes for days on end. She's you Blueberry – you are stunning both inside and out, and you make me want to be better. I am better because of you." Quinn couldn't help but give Rachel the truth right there – it was so spontaneous and heart-wrenchingly raw that the blonde couldn't help but sit there and turn her face to the floor as the well of tears behind her eyes began to fill.

Rachel clutched harder at their conjoined hands and scooted closer to Quinn, their shoulders were touching now, and there was a fire sparking between them. Rachel was left speechless at Quinn's words and she too couldn't fight the watery sheen beginning to coat her brown eyes as she looked back at a struggling blonde. Rachel crawled up into her - she scooted up to Quinn as far as she could and sat almost in her warm lap – she curled her head under Quinn's quivering jaw and laid a sweaty cheek against bare collarbone.

"Don't cry babe. That was the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me. And I'm honored that those words came from you. Anybody else and it would not have been the same…but it was you." Rachel's voice fought against the crack of a tear as she spoke softly against Quinn's skin. Her lips and breath brushed against the flushed skin there and Quinn's heart exploded in her chest. She turned her head away and burrowed it into Rachel's hair: she smelled like vanilla and coffee – it was soothing, and Quinn wanted to be closer still.

"Blueberry, I'm glad you're here." Quinn whispered into the brunette tresses as her fingers sought out fabric and began to stroke Rachel's back in soft concentric circles languidly.

Rachel looked up from Quinn's shoulder and stared into hazel eyes – and she saw that layer of passion that she had previously glimpsed momentarily, only now, in that moment it was pure and unyielding. She moved her free hand and brought it up to Quinn's face, marking each of the blonde's freckles softly as she touched her nose and cheeks. Quinn smiled at the intimate gesture. Rachel followed the freckles along Quinn's nose and was left in a daze. Her head was foggy, and all she could think was that she needed to taste it. She needed to taste each beautiful freckle on that face - and she moved closer, her mouth taking the place of her hot fingers. And she was kissing Quinn's nose, softly and daintily – her lips brushed against salty skin over and over as Rachel inter-connected the freckles with purpose and love.

Quinn sighed at the gesture, and her heart fluttered at the sensation. The kisses were chaste and sweet, but they were there and they burned a hole straight to the blonde's heart – she clutched wild fingers into Rachel's tank top as the brunette moved warm lips and breath over heated porcelain skin. Quinn exhaled and fluttered her eyes closed.

"You're beautiful Quinn." Rachel muttered over and over as her lips found new ground. They fluttered to her eyelids, placing sweet pressure there, before moving to her forehead and jawline. Quinn opened her eyes and moved a hand to Rachel's warm neck. Her hazel eyes; cloudy and misty settled on Rachel's brown ones and all the passion held there fell out in waves and pools. Quinn stroked a lazy thumb against olive flesh – Rachel's lips were parted and her breath came out in short strokes, Quinn inclined forward and fluttered her eyes close. Brushing eyelashes against tear stained cheeks.

And then she felt the brunette almost inside of her. Her breath was centimeters away, blowing gingerly against her own parted lips - and the she bridged the gap. Their lips met tentatively, they merged and ignited – their bodies became engulfed in heat and it seared their union. They broke apart – eyes closed and then Rachel delved back in. Their lips seeking pressure now – and all of the unsaid words between them expelled themselves through the contact. Flesh seared flesh as lips caressed. Quinn sighed into it, vowing never to let the brunette go for as long as the two of them were living on this earth.

And then she felt it. Rachel's warm tongue traced a pattern against Quinn's bottom lip seeking entry, and Quinn was undone. The seams broke apart and Rachel's tongue entered and met Quinn's – their bodies smashed together as the fire flamed and burned. Their touches lingered, and their fingers found new ground: tangling in blonde and brunette hair, stroking backs and torso's, softly fluttering to thighs and legs as they seared.

Their lips and hands intertwined in the humid air and relished in each other. All the while Etta James crooned sweetly in the background – reflecting their union with words of love and lasting.

"_Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile  
>Oh, and then the spell was cast.<br>And here we are in heaven,  
>For you are mine…<br>At last."_


	4. Chapter 4

Santana was lying on her backside across Quinn's bedspread. Her head lolled near the edge and her dark hair hung loosely over the side, swaying carelessly with her slight movements. She held her hands up at her face, in the one she held an old bottle of black nail polish, and with the other she slowly stroked the small brush against her nails – she was a sucker for perfection. Brittany's head rested flatly on Santana's toned stomach, and she rose and fell with every stretch of the Latina's diaphragm.

Quinn was curled up at her window seat with her sketchbook. Rachel's head rested calmly against Quinn's torso, and Quinn drew, holding the sketchbook at a long angle over Rachel's body – making sure that the little brunette could see every one of her pencil strokes and outlines as she drew quietly. Rachel hummed sweetly as she watched the blondes fingers move gracefully across the smooth page; marking and shading, marking and shading. She sighed contentedly at their seemingly unseeming quartet and followed her memories back to the beginning. The kiss was almost two weeks ago, and since then: the burning hadn't stopped – if anything, it had inflamed and engulfed them entirely.

_2 weeks ago:_

_Their tongues memorized each other in the heat soaked study. Rachel's hands were tentative and she kept them along Quinn's thigh, or against her toned stomach – never releasing too much pressure. Quinn kissed her back slowly and passionately, and she scorched for a firmer touch. "At Last" crooned and fell to a close as they stroked lips against lips, and nose to nose. The heat between them was unattainable, and If they didn't stop soon they would lose each other in it. Quinn wasn't ready for that; and plus, she was currently without a shirt._

_She smiled into their kissing forms and pulled back reluctantly – her eyes trained on Rachel's face the entire time. The brunette opened her eyes, and Quinn's breath caught at the darkening irises she saw there – her own hazel eyes must have been a token of her desire as well for Rachel, and the diva smiled back – flushing gingerly._

"_Wow." They both said at the same time, and then their spell broke into a fit of smiles and giggles._

"_Jinx." _

_They both said, their voices synchronizing again. They laughed harder this time and collapsed into each other – Quinn dropped her head to Rachel's shoulder and placed an open kiss there as she smiled warmly. Rachel sighed against her sagging form._

"_That was - you're incredible" Rachel smiled down at the Blonde and stroked a stray strand of hair behind the girls head. Quinn smiled again and hugged Rachel close. _

"_Hey Rach?" Rachel quirked an eyebrow and looked down at Quinn._

"_Can I get lost in you forever?" The blonde was smiling a smile that could set fire to the sun and Rachel's heart opened and took it for keeps. Of course Quinn would steal her heart with a simple question – of course she was already falling for the girl, honestly; how could she not?_

_The rest of the afternoon had them retreating from the study and ending up in the backyard, in the living room watching bad Television (all Quinn), and ordering bad takeout – they melted together in the summer heat, stealing kisses behind closed doors and during TV breaks. It was divine, and neither girl wanted it to end. _

_Rachel left Quinn Fabray's house that night with a promise – a promise of more to come, and oh, was she ready. She needed this. She wanted this. She would be there, and Quinn Fabray was hers; If not forever, than at least for the summer._

And here Rachel was now, smiling dazedly as she watched Quinn's hands move fluidly across the medium. Rachel hadn't even known that Quinn liked to draw until that afternoon. The blonde had perched up onto her window seat and patted her lap beckoning Rachel forward to sit. She walked there swiftly and Quinn placed a kiss to her nose before leading her down to lie against her lap as she sat up. Rachel followed the lead and got comfortable just as Quinn began to pull out a small sketchbook and pencil set.

"You draw Quinn!" Rachel had turned her head up abruptly and a beautiful smile fell on her lips, as she got excited. She loved talent – she thrived on it, and it made her heart swell with pride to see its embodiment. Quinn smiled back as she sharpened dull points and nodded her head.

"Yup Blueberry, I draw a lot…just a hobby." Santana had scoffed then and didn't turn her head as she started painting her nails on Quinn's bed.

"Yeesh, I'm tired of all this puppy love crap – get over it. Man Hands meet Q, she likes to draw… too much if you ask me… and Q, Meet Man Hands – future Broadway extraordinaire."

Santana grimaced as she returned to her task at hand. Brittany placed a chaste kiss to Santana's torso before smiling up at Rachel and Quinn by the window.

"Quinn draws awesome stuff blueberry…she used to draw you A LOT. It was weird, show her Turtle!

Quinn groaned audibly as she sat against the window seat, sharpening pencils with Rachel lying in her lap.

That was embarrassing – she honestly hadn't meant for Rachel to figure that out for a while – she didn't want to scare the little brunette away. But she had cared about Rachel for a long time, and thus she drew her more than she drew anybody else. Mostly sketches during shared classes, or doodles from memory when she was bored while doing homework. It wasn't necessarily meant for everyone's gazing eyes, but Brittany had just trapped her.

"Let me see!" Rachel squealed as she reached excitedly for the sketchpad. Quinn grimaced and swallowed a dry lump.

"Blueberry…" Quinn had barely whispered, but Rachel could hear the plea in her voice and it broke her heart. What was her blonde so scared of; she would always be there to catch her. Rachel paused and kissed Quinn softly on the lips – expelling all of her emotions into a single touch, she hoped Quinn would understand.

"Baby, " Rachel paused and kissed Quinn again, pouring out all of her assurances into the blonde. "Please."

Quinn nodded quietly before looking out of the window nervously as Rachel turned back to the sketchbook and opened it to the first page. It was like nothing she'd ever seen before. It was exquisite. She flipped through pages and saw glimpses of her own face, her own hands, her eyes, interspersed with random doodles and sketches. The work was detailed and precise, and the shading was otherworldly. To say that Quinn was talented was putting it lightly. Quinn could draw as beautifully and as magically across paper as Rachel could sing on a stage. It just was. And Rachel's breath caught at the beauty.

"These are…" Rachel was speechless, there were no words for their beauty, and her eyes grew hazy with tears before they settled on Quinn looking out of the window. Rachel reached out a hand and wrapped it around Quinn's chin pulling her back in. She kissed Quinn again passionately – pouring out all of her love and all of her praise before pulling back and smiling.

"God, get a fucking room." Santana muttered from the bed as Brittany looked at them with a wide, loving smile. Rachel turned and blushed, before pulling back completely and staring at Quinn.

"Draw me." Quinn smirked nervously at the statement.

"Right now? I'm sorry Rach, but I am not Leonardo DiCaprio and this is not 'Titanic.'"

Santana gagged audibly. "Please, nobody wants to see Berry-licious get all naked and pull a Kate Winslet – nightmares for fucking days." Rachel huffed and ignored the Latina. She hated to admit that she was beginning to grow quite fond of her company.

"Yes, babe right now."

"But there are tons of drawings of you already in that sketchbook, you want another one?"

"Quinn Fabray you are a magnificent artist, and I'll need a picture of your drawing prowess so that I can put it up on my wall in my room and think 'My not- really girlfriend drew that for me.'" Rachel smirked then, she hit the home run, Quinn smiled and sputtered.

"Your not- really girlfriend? I thought you were single!" Rachel grinned back.

"I _am _single. But I have a not-really girlfriend now. She hasn't admitted to it yet, but she will – I would be jealous if I were you. She's a knockout – oh, and she draws like no other."

Quinn laughed out loud then and nodded her head. "Well, Blue – I've got my own knockout of a not-really girlfriend already. I'm taken. I'm pretty sure we're basically official, just have to go on that first date."

Rachel beamed right back. And snapped her fingers against the air. "Deal. Draw me now! …I'd like a picture from my new almost girlfriend. Is that ok?"

"Perfect. Anything for you babe." And with that Rachel repositioned herself and Quinn began to draw while Rachel smiled and hummed out to into the warm air. And that is how they all were now, lazily lying out, enjoying each other's quiet company while Rachel hummed quietly in the background.

"Done." Santana groaned as she stretched and re-capped her nail polish, setting it on Quinn's night table. She sighed and looked down at her partner in crime, Brittany had fallen asleep against her stomach, her breath released steadily as her eyes fluttered with the art of dreaming. Santana brushed a strand of hair away from her face before settling cool dark eyes on Quinn and Rachel. She would never admit it, but seeing them curled up like that stilled her – she was happy that Quinn was happy, and she needed that reassurance. Because now Quinn had an anchor, one who wouldn't float around and probably leave her one day without much else – she had Rachel… and together they had love: she could feel it to her core and it was bright and luminous.

It was about fucking time too. If Santana had never gotten Berry to come to Quinn's house that afternoon – where would they be? She smirked as she turned her head around on the bed, her eyes drifted shut as she quickly dozed off to sleep.

Quinn's arms were getting tired; she had just finished her quick sketch of Rachel before her legs stared to fall asleep. She wiggled her toes painfully and grimaced.

"Babe, can you get up for a second. I need to stretch." Rachel stopped humming and climbed off of Quinn's lap, letting the blonde sit up and stretch out her tired limbs. Quinn climbed up off of the window seat and slowly made her way to the bathroom – she had a master bedroom, her parents gave it to her when her older sister moved out. Quinn had a huge bedroom, and it was girly in a very tomboyish sense of the word. Her bedspread and pillows were simple, single gray flowers on white with gray trim. Pictures of her and old friends adorned her walls along with frames of old artwork from her adolescence and childhood. The bathroom was off in the corner, complete with a small vanity and full-length mirrors adorned the closets.

Rachel watched as Quinn walked into the bathroom, keeping the door ajar as she disappeared from view.

"Rachelllllllllllll.." Quinn's sing song voice echoed through the large bedroom a few minutes later. Rachel answered back in similar fashion.

"Mmmmmhmmmmmm?"

"Can you grab those shorts that are folded up on the desk next to my closet and bring them here?"

Rachel obliged and scooped the denim up, bringing it over to the bathroom. She walked through the open bathroom door to find Quinn undressing herself by the shower. She didn't see Rachel walk in as she maneuvered her hands down her hips quickly – bending over as she freed herself from the sticky jeans she had been wearing.

"Rachel? … Rach, can you—" Quinn turned then, and shrieked when she realized that the brunette had been there all along. She laughed as she clutched at her palpitating chest.

"Wow, you scared me dum dum."

Rachel just smiled and laughed along, she had long since discarded the shorts, and they were now half -hazardly lying over the sink somewhere while Rachel scoured over Quinn's perfect body. The brunette's heart almost erupted when Quinn had bent over to finish taking off her jeans – her legs were spectacular and defined. Her dark eyes lingered at the small barely there panties sitting on soft angular hips –And goodness, those abs. Rachel could have died right then and there.

"Babe, did you bring my shorts?"

Quinn was finally looking at Rachel now, her hand extended so that she could change in to the other article of clothing. And that's when she noticed that Rachel was clearly bothered. Hot and bothered, specifically. Quinn watched the brown eyes darken and practically devour her from the ground up. Rachel unconsciously bit her bottom lip as her eyes finally reached Quinn's.

"I'm up here horndog." Rachel blushed and scoffed.

"You're the one standing there half naked, tease."

Quinn snickered – Seeing Rachel so blatantly turned on was spectacularly amusing in a really endearing way. The blonde smiled as she grabbed her shorts from the sink counter top so that she could put them on. She inclined one leg swiftly before she felt Rachel approach her from behind. Soft hands gripped her hips and pressed forward.

"Hey." Was all the brunette said as she curled her soft fingers against Quinn's hips, stilling the blonde's motions. Her thumbs twiddled lightly against the thin fabric of her underwear. Rachel sighed against sunlit hair. Quinn leaned back against her, turning around in the process so that they could face each other – Rachel's eyes were dark and lingering.

Quinn kissed her slowly on the lips – willing the brunette before her to part them, allowing her to smolder. The kiss grew in intensity as tongues lashed out against hot breath, Rachel panted openly and unlatched herself from the blonde's lips, moving instead to place open mouthed kisses along her jawline and neck, licking the salty skin as she devoured her.

Quinn moaned at the feeling, she was ignited, and she leant forward to grip the edge of the sink counter so that she wouldn't collapse in the heat. Her chest pushed out and her eyes fluttered up at the ceiling as Rachel sucked slowly and purposefully against her neck and under her chin – Quinn used her other hand, lying on Rachel's hip to push upwards to the hemline of the brunette's thin t-shirt. She pulled it up slowly, exposing tanned, hot skin as she went. Rachel sighed into her kisses as she felt her shirt tug upwards.

"God, you're so delicious." Rachel panted against sweaty skin. Her hands had moved against her will and clutched blindly at Quinn's lower back, trailing down to slowly cup Quinn's ass – stroking her thumbs as she went. Quinn released her hands from Rachel's mildly exposed torso and maneuvered them onto Rachel's thigh, pulling her plaid skirt up quickly – exposing the brunette's pink "Saturday" underwear.

"You still wear underwear with days of the week on it?"

Quinn laughed as she stroked hot thighs. Rachel rolled her eyes, smiling back up at the blonde, before re-attacking her neck, sucking hard and nipping at salty skin.

"So." The brunette muttered in between sucks.

"I think it's adorable,"

Quinn groaned out as her neck and collarbones were assaulted by wet tongue. The blonde was growing increasingly reckless, her body was flooding with sensation and need – she was becoming wanton, and she needed contact, pressure, anything to settle her growing desire. She pressed a thigh in between Rachel's and moaned aggressively as their lower halves touched. Both girls gasped as their hips bucked – sending shivers down their spines.

At the contact, Rachel's hands clutched at Quinn's ass forcefully, pinning half moon circles against flesh – as their hips bucked together – Rachel spread her legs subconsciously allowing Quinn more room to maneuver. Quinn groaned against Rachel's ear at the feeling. Her feet arched as she bent in order to claim more of the brunette. Their eyes locked again, and Quinn delved deeper – claiming Rachel's mouth and tongue, charting it with her own.

Their kisses were growing wild and frantic. Rachel's mind was growing anxious with want and need – she wanted Quinn to take her as far as she could go… but she wasn't ready for that yet – her hands wouldn't stop. She kept pinching, caressing and stroking whatever skin she could physically touch. She was addicted – and Quinn was her highest high. Quinn gasped as Rachel sucked her chest, moved farther and farther down her shirt collar.

"I need you." She groaned out against searing flesh. Rachel nodded softly in return as her mouth worked. And then the door burst open – banging itself loudly against the adjacent wall. Santana was standing there – her eyes were cold and condensed, and she stood with her arms crossed against her chest. Her eyebrows were raised in question as she shrugged her shoulders in irritation.

"You woke me up losers." Quinn and Rachel stared back at her in shock.

"Really? The bathroom?"

Santana scoffed as she moved forward brushing her way past the two half naked girls in order to rinse her face with cold water from the sink. Quinn was blushing profusely and Rachel was attempting t unsuccessfully un-ruffle her skirt and top.

Santana watched them squirm in embarrassment. She was highly amused. She smirked and tilted her shoulders as she squared the two of them in the eyes.

"Hey, at least somebody's getting some." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, her eyes grew steely and she pointed a condescending finger at the aroused pair.

"Just don't fucking wake me up from my nap ever again, or I'll find you and beat the shit out of you two whether you're bare ass naked or not."

"Get out, Santana."

"Get out, Bug."

Both girls exclaimed as they looked around the surrounding area for their discarded apparel. Santana eyed them devilishly before walking out, leaving a very flushed Quinn Fabray and a blushing Rachel Berry to laugh out loud as they scurried to re-position their clothes and calm their mutual heat. It was summer, summer, beautiful summer.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

Quinn was pacing back and forth, back and forth, and back and forth. Her hands were sitting worriedly against her hips as she traipsed from one edge of the ornate study to the other. She was currently panicking, and her hands were becoming clammy – Quinn Fabray's hands never got clammy, what was wrong with her?

"Breathe, Quinn." She coaxed to herself out loud as she paced the floor. "You can do this, it's just dinner… at Rachel Berry's house… with her dads."

The blonde's fingers found her skirt as she folded them in and out of the fabric in anxiety. She still had thirty minutes before she had to start heading over to the Berry house, but she was already falling apart – she would soon shatter into a million pieces she knew – and no one would be able to put her back together. It would be utterly, and dramatically tragic.

Three weeks. It had been three unforgettable weeks since that moment of truth in this very room came for a struggling Quinn Fabray. She sat atop the very desk that she now paced before, drenched in sweat and crying blindly for an acceptance that she deemed simply impossible, and never deserving of requited affection. She cried for courage, and she shed tears of pain at having been the cause and the effect of it. All Santana had done that night was listen to the blonde unravel, she listened. She listened.

And because of the Latina – here Quinn was now, three weeks later with more than a beginning – she had valley of opportunity staring her in the face, and now she was scared? How could it be that the act of meeting your almost, not quite significant others parents could instill so much fear into her very being?

Quinn racked her breath against the anxiety and stilled her fidgeting fingers. She closed her eyes and took a deep, stilling breath. Her eyes re-opened with a clarity of understanding and a focus of merit. She loved Rachel Berry, she loved Rachel Berry, she loved Rachel Berry. She loved.

And it was with that conviction that the blonde managed to take those first burgeoning steps out of her father's study and into the foyer. Her mother was watching reruns of Dr. Phil in the living room on the big screen TV as Quinn passed, hurrying by on her way out of the ornate front door.

"Quinnie, honey – where are you going?"

The blonde took a steadying breath, hoping that this slight interruption would not seep into the cracks of her already faltering resolve, she stopped in her tracks in a breathless reply.

"Over to Rachel's." The voice that emerged from her mouth was not hers. It was distant and timid – almost transparent. Judy Fabray nodded, not taking her eyes off of the television screen.

"Alright, don't stay out too late. And Quinn?"

Her mother had turned around fully then– disregarding the mustached fake Dr. on TV as her similarly colored hazel eyes settled onto those of her daughters.

"Yes?"

"I know that I've allowed for your recent change in atmosphere – particularly with that little Berry girl. But know this…your father will be home by next week, and he won't condone your association with the likes of those people. I'm warning you now, because your father – once his mind is made up about something – will not be changed… you are walking on hollow ground, dear."

Quinn's mouth dropped open momentarily at her mother's expressionless mandate. Her face quickly contorted into one of blind fury – her fists shook, and all of the tepidness and anxiety in her voice fell away as she steadied her tensing limbs.

"Mother…you can't do that."

Judy Fabray had turned back around to the television screen – either unaware or indifferent to her daughter's sudden anger. Her voice was cool and sharp – a blade in clear, translucent water. Cutting straight to Quinn's heart with every consonant, vowel and syllable.

"It isn't my decision is it Quinnie? Your father has the final say in this house. You'll do as you're told. By next week, I hope to never find you mingling with the likes of her again. Is that clear?"

"You and dad can't _fucking_ dictate who I can and can't be friends with. You lost all privileges to that when you both started acting as if I didn't exist. I got pregnant and I was abandoned – you don't have a goddamn right to anything about me anymore."

It was here that Judy Fabray's next words would lace themselves with venom. Her face remained poised on that godforsaken television screen – unmoving and unwavering as her words travelled over the dense expanse of the room.

"Quinn. Don't believe for a second that I haven't made sacrifices for you. It was me who convinced your father to let you move back in. I was the one who kept your pregnancy a secret from even myself for all of those awful months – I am the one who sleeps alone at night in a separate bed, because your father and I are almost nothing more than roommates amongst all of this grandiose. Did you ever stop to think about me?"

"Mom – you know this isn't fair!" Quinn's eyes were brimming with tears and her voice cracked as she braced a hand against her chest. She couldn't believe how utterly disastrous this evening was becoming. – Not to mention the fact that she was now going to be running late – should she even go at all? She wiped trembling hands at her eyes as she turned away.

"That's what you call life Quinn. It's simply a game of sacrifice – and you won't survive in this lifetime if you don't accept that."

"This isn't fair, I won't do that to Rachel, I lo—" Quinn gasped as she clasped a hand over her shaking mouth and lips. The pain in her eyes was palpable, and had she almost told her mother what she thinks she did? Her body shook at the near revelation and she clamped her eyes shut as her heart burst.

"What? Finish it Quinnie…. That you love her?" Quinn's mouth fell open. Her mother knew? Judy Fabray turned around then on the couch and her eyes were cold and unforgiving. She grimaced as the words spilled disdainfully from her painted lips.

"You think I didn't know? – You are my daughter. Of course I knew. I knew it when she came over to visit for that pool party. I knew it when I received phone calls from Principal Figgins asking you too back off of the girl in school. I knew it when you were fourteen, When Lupe cleaned out your room that summer and found your sketchbook of drawings and letters to that Berry girl. And I turned the other cheek because I knew you'd grow out of it. You would grow out of it – and your father would never know. And Quinn – if you cut her loose now, there will still be time for you to grow out of it. Cut her loose before it's too late."

The words were like ice on her beating heart. The rage of conversion bubbled inside of the blonde as she clutched at her chest – hoping, praying for air, and for peace. Quinn swiped at her eyes – a fruitless endeavor as the tears continued to spill over. She turned away from her mother's Icelandic gaze as she made her way to the front door. Her feet propelled her blindly. Was she running? She had to get out of that house. She needed to get out – she needed air, she couldn't breathe. Was that the door slamming behind her? She didn't know. Were those her uncovered feet running through the street? When had she lost her shoes? Quinn couldn't answer any of these questions as she ran – her skirt billowed out behind her as she fell apart. A few cars honked wildly at her as she clutched for balance against the misty asphalt. She wheezed in and out, in and out. She needed her anchor, she needed to be wrapped up in Rachel's arms and kept safe there. She loved her.

The knock on the door was loud and barbaric. The oak was opened swiftly and a beautiful Rachel Berry appeared – wearing a simple v-neck t-shirt and argyle skirt with sandals. Her eyes lit up exponentially once she realized who was standing at the other side of the threshold.

"Quinn! You're late –"

But then Quinn collapsed against the frame – her body was tired, and her tears flowed unchecked as she sank against the hinges. Rachel looked up at the light of her life – her eyes changing rapidly from overjoyed to concerned – to fearful as she caught the blonde, easing them both down together to sit against the front step. The brunette pulled Quinn down into her lap, letting her lie her troubled head against cool argyle thighs as Rachel rocked her from side to side – stroking blonde tresses, and whispering soothing nothings into her not quite girlfriends ear.

"Please don't leave me." Quinn managed between sobs. Rachel's eyes watered at the vision of her beautiful blonde falling apart in her arms. Tears streamed silently across olive cheeks as Rachel whispered into trembling blonde hair.

"Shhh, baby. I'm here, I'm here, I'm never leaving. I'll never leave." After about ten minutes, the sobs died down and Rachel stared blurry eyed at a sleeping Quinn. She cupped a hand to her face and let out a small sob – she didn't know if she deserved to share whatever pain Quinn was enduring but it broke her heart nonetheless – Rachel felt inadequate and insufficient as she basked in her powerlessness. And then she heard the booming voice of her father Leroy as he approached the front door.

"Hey babygirl – the foods going to get cold! Me and daddy thought we heard the door, is your wonderful friend finally gracing us with her blonde, delightful prese—"

And then Leroy paused; he hurried out of the door and knelt down to his daughter's level, staring into her watery eyes before glancing at the troubled red-rimmed sleeping blonde at her lap.

"Baby girl, is everything ok? Are you okay?" He stroked a large smooth thumb across his daughter's cheek as Rachel nodded quietly, smiling timidly amidst the occasional tear.

"Yes daddy, I just - I cry when other people cry, you know me." She gave her dad a watery chuckle, and he smiled warmly at her.

"And what about Ms. Fabray here? Is she alright?" Rachel shook her head, the water in her eyes threating to pool and run over again.

"I don't know. She just showed up, and collapsed into my arms like this. Can you help me take her upstairs? I just want to watch her for a little bit, and make sure she's all right. – I'm sorry about dinner daddy."

Leroy smiled at his daughter, before bending down and lifting up a still sleeping Quinn Fabray into his large soft arms. His heart opened at the selflessness of his daughter – she loved so fiercely and so freely – he hadn't even talked to the blonde, but he knew. He just knew – it would be something special if it weren't already. Rachel followed her dad upstairs and watched as he placed the blonde softly on her bed over the comforter. Rachel climbed up and curled over to Quinn's sleeping form, cupping her in warm arms from behind – and stroking her soft hair, hoping to calm them both as they lay there against the down.

Leroy closed the door behind him, and Rachel faintly heard his retreating feet as he walked back down the stairs. She brought her arms out and around Quinn's torso and waist, making sure to envelop her in all of the love that she could possibly muster. Love? Rachel closed her eyes at the thought, love? It was much, much too soon for that, wasn't it? Love?

And that was when Rachel fell asleep, knowing with all of her being that she loved Quinn Fabray – she realized it when the blonde appeared at her doorstep – but of course. It was much, much too soon for emotions like that. Too soon. Too soon indeed.

And sleep overcame her.

A few hours later, and Quinn stirred against the mattress. She curled further into herself as she was soothed by a sweet humming tune wafting into her ears. She felt warm arms enveloping her and she sighed as she clutched at them – hoping to merge into them, so that she could almost disappear in the peace of it all. And then she heard a soft murmur at her ear – it was a faint whisper and a breath, it took over the humming.

"Baby, are you up?"

Quinn opened her sore eyes and all of the memories of the afternoon came flooding back into her mind like a freight train. She tensed and shook with emotion as she turned in those warm arms, hoping to find solace in the girl she would find there.

"I'm sorry."

Quinn whispered, her eyes had begun to well again and Rachel kissed her tentatively on the eyelids – hoping to transfer all of the comfort and the love in the world in a single touch.

"Why are you sorry? Please, don't be…what happened?"

The fingers at Quinn's back, stroked rhythmically as the blonde's tears seeped quietly. Quinn pulled an arm up and brushed them away amidst blurry vision before re-settling on Rachel Berry. God, Rachel Berry – her eyes were shiny and red too – had she been crying as well? Quinn's heart clenched at the thought, and she fluttered at the truth that she couldn't possibly love anyone more than she loved Rachel Berry at that moment.

"My mom –," Quinn began. Her voice shook and she paused in order to regain momentum.

"My mom told me to stop seeing you." Rachel's shiny eyes spilled over as she shook her head in pained confusion.

"What? Why, what – did I do something wrong? I can fix it. I can fix it." Quinn brushed the little brunettes cheek and shook her head in return.

"No Blueberry. It isn't you. It was never you. It's because of my dad, he'll be back home on Monday – and mom thinks he'll find out about us. She found out. She knew. She knows." Rachel's tears ran freely now as she encompassed all of the blonde's pain from that horrible afternoon. But what did that mean for them? What did that mean?

"What does that mean for us Q?" Quinn brushed at her tears again before kissing Rachel softly and purposefully on the lips – transcribing them with love and passion.

"It means, that I don't care what my parent's think. I need you. I want you. And I –"

Quinn paused then and gulped back fresh tears. She couldn't say it. She couldn't admit it, because if the brunette didn't feel the same way than what would she do? It had only been three short weeks and they weren't even official technically but somehow Quinn knew – and her love was strong and veritable. She closed her eyes. And whispered mostly to herself.

"I think I'm falling in love with you." Quinn sighed and turned her head away, hoping that Rachel didn't hear. But secretly wishing for the opposite as well – and Rachel had definitely heard. Her heart swelled and hinged against her beating chest, and she felt like she would simply combust with adoration and emotion. She clutched softly at Quinn's smooth face and brought it back, placing a lingering kiss on the blonde's petite nose.

"You're gorgeous you know that? … I think I've already fallen in love with you too Q."

Quinn's eyes widened in shock and joy and love and happiness – hear heart swelled. The blonde clutched tighter at Rachel's warmth as she rested a weary forehead against olive toned collarbones. Rachel exhaled into Quinn's blonde hair and smiled softly at their union.

"You had me at the 'Hello'." Quinn laughed deeply against Rachel's shoulder.

"You dork, that's from 'Jerry Maguire.' Secondly I don't even think I said hello to you today." Rachel kissed the blonde's head swiftly before joining in on the quiet laugher.

"I just love that line, and I've always wanted to say it to someone…Hey! I'm your dork Q– and I wouldn't have it any other way."

8


	6. Chapter 6

Quinn had to leave. She absolutely couldn't bear it anymore. Her house was a confinement of heat and repressed anger. Her mother didn't speak to her, and her father had just flown in from a month long work related conference retreat in Dallas. She would tense with every step she heard him take around the large house. His presence was unnerving, and his steel grey eyes were seemingly locked onto hers whenever the two graced paths. The day that Quinn fell apart affront the doorstep of the Berry home – she was broken. She was a lovesick jigsaw puzzle that needed to be re-assembled because her heart hurt entirely too much to re-assemble it on her own. Therein Rachel reassembled it, piece by piece, by piece.

The blonde spent the rest of the weekend living out of the Berry house. She ate dinner with Hiram and Leroy, and she watched re-runs of "I Love Lucy" and "The Wonder Years" with Rachel, curled up comfortably on the sofa. They held hands freely – It had all begun after that first disastrous night of an introduction, Leroy and Hiram came back upstairs and tentatively walked into Rachel's room, beckoning the two girls to sit up from their quiet, sleepy embrace.

"Hi girls." Rachel had smiled, "Hi dad, daddy." Quinn swallowed thickly. She had nodded at the two men, swatting her eyes with the back of her hand in an attempt to cool the puffiness she found there.

"Hi." Quinn managed, she extended a trembling hand forward, hoping to somehow exude poise and honesty in a single fluid motion. The two men smiled wonderfully at her in return, Quinn stared open eyed as Leroy approached her quietly, swiftly embracing her in a warm hug. The blonde paused only momentarily before returning the affection. Hiram smiled warmly from Leroy's side as he placed a tender hand against the blonde's shoulder.

"Quinn, Are you alright? Just so you know, you are always welcome here if you need anything, ok?" Leroy whispered against soft blonde waves. Her eyes teared up at the sudden rush of emotion, and she nodded quickly into the large man's wide chest, swiping yet again at her weeping eyes – only this time she smiled brightly as the water careened, and poured over.

"I'm sorry about ruining dinner." She managed in a shaky breath. Hiram laughed at her side as he rubbed a thumb across her shoulder.

"It's alright sweetie, how about a re-scheduling? Since it's already about 12:30am, and dinner's been all put away and covered up, how do you girls feel about breakfast?"

Rachel jumped out of her sitting position on her bed and clapped her hands together – her smile was wide and illuminating as she shrieked and flailed her arms into the air with delight. Leroy let go of Quinn then as he laughed at his ridiculous daughter.

"Rachel loves breakfast for dinner. She'd do it every day if she could."

"Honestly daddy, it's amazing. And Quinn, I don't care if you're hungry or not – I cannot pass up dad's famous Belgian waffles and blackberry crepes. It's otherworldly, _especially_ at 1am." Rachel was beaming at the blonde, and Quinn couldn't help beaming right back. She felt oddly at peace – and although she had just formally met the two Berry men, she couldn't help shaking that deep down moment of feeling truly, unconditionally accepted and loved.

"I love crepes." Quinn smiled up at Hiram and Leroy then. The two fathers laughed and soon all four of them were sitting around the kitchen talking, laughing, cooking and eating amid a fabulous breakfast of Belgian waffles, strawberry preserves, blackberry crepes, apricots and honeysuckle.

Their unseemingly diverse quartet ate ravishingly as they discoursed. Quinn was happy here – truly happy, and they made her forget all of her worries, especially the fact that she would have to face her father after the next few days of peace and tranquility. The Berry's calmed her and silently steeled her resolve.

"So Quinn," Leroy was ginning wickedly amid a bite of one of his waffles. "Why don't you two get it over with and just tell us that you're seriously dating."

"Daddy!" Rachel yelped as she dropped her fork against porcelain dinnerware. The brunette diva was blushing profusely as a smile crept along her face. Quinn's - who was sitting next to her—mouth fell agape – she had been in the process of eating a hearty chunk of apricot when the question was asked, and she now resembled a giant flytrap as her skin flushed.

Hiram and Leroy erupted into a fit of laughter as they watched their daughter and her not- quite girlfriend flounder for words and coherence. Hiram spoke up once he managed to stifle his rumbling laughter.

"Don't worry sweetie, he's just a tease. But we do seriously want to know how serious you two are. We can tell that you have something special, and although Rachel hasn't given us full disclosure, we trust her judgment."

Quinn closed her mouth and swallowed quickly. She grabbed Rachel's hand from beneath the table and interlaced their fingers. She turned her face up to the two Berry men and steeled her gaze with Hiram's. Her body shook, but her eyes held purchase as she spoke.

"I-I, I'm not sure what to say. Rachel is wonderful, she's the most wonderful girl I've ever met, and she makes me believe in myself. She instills me with a beauty I never rendered imaginable, and because of that- I'm proud to call her my best friend. And hopefully sooner rather than later, my girlfriend, if she'll have me."

Quinn turned her eyes to Rachel's encompassing brown ones then and the diva was smiling blindingly back up at her, her chocolate orbs were swimming with tears as she squeezed the blonde's hand from beneath the table, encouraging her to continue.

"…Of course, Mr. and Mr. Berry, I came here earlier with the intention of having a nice quiet dinner with you, and to hopefully ask you both if I could formally take Rachel out on a date next week. But things didn't really work out the way I planned for them to. But I guess, I'm still sitting here with all of you, and my request still stands, truer than ever.

Rachel nodded profusely before squealing in her seat. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Of course I'll go out with you, are you crazy Quinn Fabray? Please say yes daddy, please, please, please."

The blatant begging wasn't lost on the Berry Men, but what ultimately made up their minds was the look of unfiltered love radiating from the blonde as she spoke of their daughter. And neither of the fathers was amiss to the unconditional return of that love emanating from their very daughter. It was inevitable, almost like a plane crash – but they weren't worried, they were happy. Leroy turned to his husband and smirked, and Hiram grinned right back. The two men looked at Quinn, Leroy put up his large hands in playful surrender as Hiram nodded – acquiescing jovially to the blonde's request.

"Just make sure you tell us when this date is – and promise us you'll be back by curfew, no later than 11pm."

Quinn smiled brilliantly and nodded, thanking the two men profusely before being carted away mid thanks by Rachel. Once they reached the living room, the brunette threw herself at the blonde embracing her deeply as if she never wanted to let her go.

"I love you Quinn Fabray." Rachel whispered into the blonde's sighing form. Quinn squeezed her tighter.

"I love you more Blueberry."

The two girls didn't say much as they soon found their way to the sofa – they quietly entangled themselves against the cushions and Rachel turned on the TV, quickly finding old re-runs of "Gilligan's Island." Quinn smiled into long brown hair as the two girls yelled out the theme song in unison.

"_Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a faithful trip._

_That started from this tropic port, aboard this tiny ship._

_The mate was a mighty sailing man, the skipper brave and sure._

_Five passengers set sail that day for a three hour tour."_

Rachel started singing louder as she laughed along with the song. Quinn caught up quickly, smiling at their shared moment of unbelievable dorky-ness; she braced herself as her favorite part of the song approached. Rachel sat up and turned her head into Quinn's yelling along to the song as the blonde yelled back.

"_With Gilliga-a-a-a-n! The Skipper too! The Millioair-eeee, and hiw wi-i-i-i-fe!" _ Quinn's ribs started to hurt through her laughter, as she could barely make it to the end. Rachel was dancing stupidly against her and flailing her arms to the words.

"_The movie star! The Professor and Mary-An-n-n-n-e, here on Gilligan's Is-s-s-s-le!" _Both girls erupted into a fit of rib aching giggles before settling back onto the TV screen – they stared there for a few hours in an interlocking embrace of comfort, and they soon nodded off to sleep. Encased completely in one another, with the lyrics of "Gilligan's Island" playing softly in their shared dreams.

And that was how Quinn stayed for the rest of the weekend. Sleeping upstairs – in the guest bedroom, and spending every night sitting up on the sofa and singing along to really bad theme songs with Rachel Berry curled up beside her.

It was fantastic, and she felt apart from the world – almost entirely serene. It happened to be exactly what she needed for her resolve. She knew she would have to go home come Sunday night, but now she knew that she would do it courageously – and she would welcome her father with an open heart and a prepared mind. She was unsure about a lot of things – but Rachel Berry was most definitely not one of them.

And so now, here she was on Monday afternoon, staring Russell Fabray in the eyes as the three of them sat awkwardly in the kitchen at dinner. Judy sipped heartily on a glass of wine as she conversed tensely with her husband, keeping eye contact on everything but her daughter. Quinn was unfazed by her mother's actions and she silently stared at her meal of mashed potatoes, salmon and asparagus – playing with her fork every now and then as the quietness overcame her. And then she stilled – the room had gone quiet, and she looked up, realizing that her parents had stopped talking to one another and they were both looking down at her with cold eyes.

"So, Quinnie, your mother tells me you've made a new friend since I've been out of town."

His voice was stone cold and blasé, as if whoever her new "friend" was, it wasn't much of an issue of concern – However his eyes held a different perspective, oh did they terrify her. Quinn kept her gaze on her father's steel grey irises, never looking away. She answered as sweetly as possible without having her voice give her away. If she learned anything from her father, it was how to hide your emotions with cunning and precision. A brick wall of un-emotion at all times – it had once been Quinn's specialty. It was unnerving how quickly she could build it back up.

"Yes. I did. Her name is Rachel Berry." Russell's expression didn't change. Judy took a steadying sip of her wine.

"A-ha…so I leave for a few weeks, and you decide that it's ok for you to parade around with hoodlums, sinners, and vagabonds - I see. You seem to have learned nothing from your previous mistakes."

Quinn threw her fork down then. So much for that brick wall of composure, she thought. She quickly incensed and her eyes blazed open as she kept them trained on her father's.

"And what mistake was that? Listening to my un-loving, self-medicating, judgmental, unforgiving parents? Well, then no thank you. I'd rather continue making "mistakes" if it's all the same to you…_dad_."

Judy had discontinued her small sips of wine, and had completely downed the remaining glass before hurriedly beckoning Lupe over for a refill.

"You will not speak to me in that manner in this house young lady. It would be wise for you to remember with whom it is you're talking to. And secondly, you will not be seeing that Rachel Berry girl again. Is that clear? I won't have my daughter of mine associating with blatant sinners of our culture and religious society. It's unacceptable."

The conversation wasn't at all comical but Quinn couldn't help but smirk at the incredible irony of their family and everything they believed to be true. She looked up at her father again and smiled – she smiled wickedly.

"I would agree with you dad…but it's too late for that now…say hello to your daughter Quinn Fabray: ex-latent homosexual, and lover of all things Rachel Berry."

Russell blinked, and Judy consumed her glass of wine in record time.

"I'm a lesbian. I've known since I was fourteen. And in the month that you were gone, I discovered Rachel Berry – and she is everything to me. And you won't take it away, not this time." Russell blinked again before readjusting his plate. He rose from his seat at the foot of the table slowly and turned on his heel, leaving the room. As he walked out, Quinn could hear his cold voice rip through her frame as she sat and watched him silently.

"You can live under my roof, you can eat my food, and you can survive off of my allowance – but know this…..you are no longer my daughter, nor will you ever be again."

And Quinn blinked before getting up herself, grabbing her jacket out of the hallway closet and making her way out of the door.


	7. Chapter 7

"I figured I'd find you here." Santana looked up from indifferent orbs as she settled herself in the sand, watching Quinn breathe in the sweet summer air from her perch atop the playground slide. Her head sat against the cool plastic where she had positioned herself so that she wouldn't slip down the slide – instead laying down within in it peacefully. Apart from her fathers study this place was her sanctuary – and the blonde would continue to return to it in times of incomparable stress, and in the presence of her father Russell.

Quinn shrugged tired shoulders. "I'm just tired."

The Latina picked aimlessly at twigs and leaves in the sand around her legs, absentmindedly stabbing rolly pollies with a wayward branch.

"We're all tired. Isn't that the point?"

Quinn blinked and inhaled sharply. "You just don't understand - my situation is different."

Santana eyed the blonde maliciously before firing back at Quinn's nonchalance. "Every body is tired. Every situation is different; every journey is a quest for self-discovery. So don't sit there on your high horse and accuse me of failed understanding – because I, more than anyone else knows what that's like."

The blonde squeezed her eyes shut before slowly slipping down the purple slide to end up perched at the edge at the bottom. Sitting up alongside the Latina's side, as she sat idly in the sand killing insects.

"I'm sorry. - I'm just so frustrated."

"Talk to me then. Frustration never stopped you before."

"I…I love her. And it's so sudden, and so all-encompassing that I'm completely blown away by it. She's everything Santana, everything. And I just can't live in a house where I'm not wanted or validated because I'm in love with her. I left yesterday for an hour so that I could retain my breath – in reality I walked here, and I sat in a swing for three hours crying -pitying myself."

"She makes me watch stupid reruns of "I Dream of Genie" and "Password" and I can't get enough. I crave her like a drug – she's my addiction, and it's only been a little less than a month – Santana I'm lost within her and it's ok - I'm floundering in a sea of love and beauty. But tell me, why isn't that enough for him?"

The dark haired brunette shrugged languid shoulders as she trapped a lady bug between her palms, watching it flutter back and forth against her skin. She smiled unconsciously at the sensation, reveling in the clarity.

"You're an idiot Turtle. Listen, your dad will never validate you – he won't. But does that even matter? You have Rachel, and her dads, and it's only been about a month – but you have _something_, more than most. So stop fucking pitying your life because I sure as hell don't pity mine - and when has it ever been easy for a Catholic Hispanic girl to come out to her traditionalist parents? You ever think about that?"

Quinn buried her eyes in her palms and clutched her eyes shut. "I'm sorry, I never reali—"

"Every time I came to visit you last year…it wasn't just for your well being, but for mine too – Sure, I had B … but don't think that it wasn't hard for me to show my face sometimes. My parents love me Q and they love Brittany, but when I told them about how I _really_ felt, my mom stopped talking to me for weeks, and my dad would just stare off at me from a distance and his eyes would glaze over before he'd shake his head and try to forget. They've gotten better now … but those late nights sophomore year weren't just for you, and thay's why I won't feel sorry for you."

Quinn ground her palms into her eyes and cheeks again while she sat at the foot of the slide, her sandaled foot twirling a few leaves around in the sand.

"You won't ever get my pity Q, so stop being a goddamn pansy and go the fuck home, and then call Rachel and tell her how much you love her. Because if this was all for her, than you better make it worthwhile."

Quinn nodded before brushing her self off and standing up on unstable feet. She left Santana in the sand at the park as she tucked her hands into her jean pockets and walked home. It had taken her ten or fifteen minutes to finally arrive at her house and when she entered, she automatically noticed that something was different. There was an uneaseiness and Quinn shuddered at the feel of it against her flesh. She quickly traipsed up the stairs, turning on the hallway light as she ascended. When she reached her bedroom the door was ajar.

"I always close my bedroom door." Quinn thought silently as she pushed the door open further, upon walking inside she bit back panic. Her hands shook against the door frame and hre hazel eyes scanned over dozens and dozens of boxes, all of them in varying states of packing. Hazel irises landed on her Cheerios trophies stacked and positioned in a large crate, another box held her favorite stuffed animals. Her clothes were piled and laid out across her stirpped bed, and that's when her parents appeared – they were walking out of the large closet, her mother holding another box while her father talked into his Bluetooth while he scanned over all of their progress.

"Yea, tomorrow morning – we're having a moving truck stop by - we'll be there no later than 11am - yea, storage unit -alright, you have a blessed day." _Click._

And that's when her father turned around as he clicked "end" on his blackberry. His grey eyes settled coldly on his daughters ill-composed ones, and Quinn could almost feel the heat radiating from him. His passive face turned distant and his eyes bordered on malicious. She gulped down her panic before speaking.

"W-What's going on?" Judy Fabray, still clutching on to her small box looked between husband and daughter quietly before escorting herself out of the bedroom.

"We're packing your things. They're going into a storage facility tomorrow morning."

"But why?" Quinn's voice was calm, but her body was in complete disarray, she was in turmoil and she was sinking fast, too fast.

"I changed my mind. I don't want you here, eating my food, sleeping on our furniture, taking our money - only to spend it on sins of the flesh. I won't have that negativity in my house. I don't even know if I can see any trace of my precious little girl there anymore."

The tears had begun. She cried much too often nowadays, she would have to stop it was becoming intolerable.

"You can't just kick me out…." Quinn placed a steadying hand on her brow, securing her to this time and place before her lip trembled ominously. "Fuck! …Goddamnit, where do you expect me to go?"

"Don't you DARE take the Lord's name in vain. Don't you dare." Russell Fabray was pointing a thick finger at his disheveled excuse for a daughter. "That isn't my problem anymore. YOU got PREGNANT, YOU lied about it to me, YOU made all of the mistakes, YOU sinned, not me. And YOU are the one who'll pay for it in the end. I won't stand aside and watch you throw away your life."

"But what am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know, and I don't care. Just as long as you're out of this house by morning."

Quinn's entire body was shaking, and she felt that if she careened too far to one side she would topple over completely, shattering into a million pieces on the floor. But there was anger there, behind the shock – and as she struggled against it, it unwaveringly made it's way to the broken, cracked, tear stained surface. Quinn extended a shaking hand and matched her fathers pointed finger with one of her own.

"And what happened to FORGIVENESS daddy. What about me?"

Russell tucked his cell phone into his khaki pants before moving forward, and walking heatedly past Quinn through the open bedroom door, she caught his hot words as he descended the stairs. And she simply stood rooted to the floor, shaking and wavering at her sudden catastrophic semblance of a family life.

"How can a man forgive someone who he lost over a year ago."?

Rachel was in her room uploading videos to her blog when she saw that Quinn was calling. She had already missed one of the calls during her performance, and had barely caught this one. She picked up the device and answered it, smiling heavily as she exhaled – happy to hear her soon – to be officially –girlfriend's voice on the other end of the line.

"Baby!" There was an odd silence attached there, and Rachel's breath caught. "Quinn?"

"I -, I." Rachel could hear the blonde's voice cracking against the receiver, and the brunette stilled. She hated to hear Quinn cry, and she hated whoever was the cause of it even more.

"Baby, what's wrong - use your words." There was a sharp intake of breath before Rachel could sense the onslaught of tears washing themselves across her beautiful blonde's pristine face.

"My d-d-dad, k-kicked me o-o-o-ut." The blonde managed between haggard breaths. She was hyperventilating as she cried into the phone. Rachel's heart clenched in her chest painfully, she almost felt as thought she would double over.

"Q, breathe, breathe. I'm coming to get you, are you at your house?"

She could hear the strangled "yes" in reply, "alright, stay there, I'll be over in a few minutes."

Rachel wiped at her eyes – they were dry, but only just. She had to portray an image of strength and solidarity for Quinn because if she broke down, the blonde would probably become hysterical. She hurried herself downstairs and found her dad's sitting in the living room reading. "Daddy, Dad, can I borrow the car. It's an emergency."

Hiram looked up worriedly at his daughter. Her face was expressionless but her body language told him that something was wrong. Her fingers twitched and clutched blindly at her phone and in her pockets, and her eyes were too bright. Much too bright.

"What's wrong?" He asked quietly. Rachel took a deep breath and turned her head toward the front door. "Quinn got kicked out of her house. I need to go pick her up to see if she's ok, and to find out what happened."

"Of course, peach. Keys are on the dining room table." Rachel scrambled over and grabbed them before running out of the front door and finding her way to her Dad's car in the driveway. She moved to turn it into gear before completely stalling out.

"What the –" She breathed out. The Diva looked down to find a stick shift instead of her Dad's more common automatic shifter clutched tightly in her small hand. Rachel gulped – she had taken the wrong keys, this was her daddy Leroy's car, and the keys she snatched hastily were taken from the kitchen counter. Wrong goddamn car.

"Shit!" She groaned into the steering wheel. But she was way too flustered to run back into the house and grab the other keys, Quinn needed her. And so Rachel squared her shoulders resolutely before hitting the clutch. She eased up slowly like her Daddy had taught her years before (she had failed miserably – hence her avoidance of said vehicle) and dragged the stick over and up into reverse as her other foot punched the accelerator. The clutch caught and seconds later she was flying out of the driveway much too fast - she had given it too much gas. She screamed into the rearview mirror before grasping flying feet at the brake. The car jerked to a stop in the middle of the street and stalled out.

"Oh my god." Rachel breathed hotly. Her hair was flying wildly around her and her fingers burned tightly into the steering wheel.

"I can do this, I can do this. I am Rachel fucking Barbra Berry."

This time she started the ignition again easing off of the clutch slowly. When she gave it gas the clutch didn't catch and the car jerked to a stall. "DAMN IT. Come on, come on."

Again she tried, pushing the stick into drive. When the gas caught she shrieked in relief before quickly turning the wheel and easing out of her three point turn. And she was off to Quinn's - she would undoubtedly save her, jerking and stalling along as she went.

When she pulled up into Quinn's driveway it was to find the blonde sitting down on the front steps of the house with her head buried deep into her upturned knees and arms. There were a dozen or so boxes sitting idly around her – Rachel quickly jumped out of the stalled car and ran forward, picking Quinn up into warm arms as she embraced her – held her. When she pulled back she saw that the blonde was looking at her blankly, almost passively and Rachel swallowed.

"Babe, let me help you with your boxes." The blonde nodded and sat up, picking up a small box and following Rachel to the car silently. After about 10 minutes they had managed to silently get every box to fit into the vehicle. Quinn quietly climbed into the passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt – looking out of the window the entire time, as if waiting for some form of validation or truth.

"Are –Aren't they going to say bye?" Quinn shook her head passively.

"You can't say goodbye to someone who doesn't care."

Rachel swallowed again. Dry eyes, dry eyes. She chanted inside her head as she quickly squeezed Quinn's hand before pulling her own back to the stick shift in the center console. The brunette took a deep breath before starting the ignition and hitting the clutch and the gas. This time, she had gotten it on the first try and the two of them were hurrying down the empty road.

"Can you stop the car?"

The sun was falling… it was dusk, Quinn's favorite time of day. She especially loved it during the spring and summer because it came later. It was a secret promise – and now it was almost 9:45, and the sun was setting against the orange, red, and purple sky. Quinn gazed at it from her passenger window; a few tears had started again. She was sad of course; she was distraught, and momentarily homeless. But what she cried for just then was for Rachel Berry – the brunette brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face, and Quinn was just overcome with awe and love. Why was she so selfless? And why couldn't Quinn be as brave as her?

They were sitting in the parked car in an abandoned parking lot. Rachel had said no to stopping in the middle of the street, and so here they were parked in the abandoned lot of the closed down 7 Eleven, watching the sunset together amid Quinn's few boxes she managed to carry down to the car. Rachel put the car in park and squeezed the blonde's hand again.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Quinn shrugged her shoulders.

"There's nothing to tell. I told my dad that I loved you, and he kicked me out of the house after I came back. My things were packed, and they're all going into storage tomorrow morning. My mother did nothing to stop him – she just stood by and watched like some kind of puppet."

Rachel swallowed and turned her body in the driver's seat, reclining her chair as she went. She climbed over the center console and landed in the backseat – kicking away the small amount of boxes there onto the floor. Quinn followed the brunette with a watery gaze before her hand was jerked back and the little diva was pulling her back as well, following her to the empty backseat. Quinn flopped down next to Rachel in the back as Rachel stroked her back and hair with open palms.

"You have me."

Quinn looked up into endless pools of mahogany and all the love she felt for Rachel bubbled over in that instant, her eyes clouded and got watery as she sat up on her elbows and leaned down to place a gentle kiss against Rachel's lips. The brunette sighed at the contact before breaking away.

"Stay with me? At my house I mean. I know it's unconventional and that we aren't even official yet, let alone we haven't even had our first date – but it just feels right. And I want you there, knowing that you're loved, cared for, and safe. believe in me Quinn."

The blonde smiled brilliantly amid her soft tears "I…I love you."

Rachel smiled back before leaning up and kissing those freckles she had already traced numerous times before. A stray tear escaped closed blonde lashes, when Quinn re-opened them, she was staring into other-worldly irises, soaking them in and devouring them. Her lip caught between her teeth before she leaned down and captured them in silence. Her wet, tear stained cheeks rubbed against Rachel's dry ones as she begged for purchase. What initially began as a tender acknowledgement, quickly turned into a battle of feeling. Quinn demanded entry into the diva's mouth with her tongue, swiping it across slick cherry lips.

Rachel moaned at the increased contact and clutched at the back of the seat behind her. When their lips finally parted with air Rachel looked up to find that her blonde's eyes had completely darkened to ochre with unkempt desire. Rachel brought a hand up, stroking her thumb against the blonde's parted bottom lip slowly, letting it drag across the sheen.

"Quinn, we can stop."

The blonde shook her head purposefully before lowering her lashes slowly and dragging Rachel's thumb into her mouth languidly and erotically. Rachel moaned at the advance, letting Quinn's tongue roll over her tendons and suck on the skin with skill.

"Mmmm-mmm" Quinn hummed as she sucked on Rachel's thumb, quickly trailing her tongue against four other digits as Rachel's eyes fluttered shut.

"I need this, please let me feel you."

Rachel opened her eyes again and studied the look of need on Quinn's face – her unbridled need for validation and feeling and warmth, this would be more than sex, Rachel knew and she nodded – letting the blonde trail her love all over her fingers and wrist with her tongue.

The brunette fluttered her eyes closed again when she felt a warm hand land tightly against her rib cage, clutching there with wonderful pressure before slowly moving north, bunching and taking fabric as it ascended upwards against her revealing skin. Rachel careened into the blazing touch and took her hand away from Quinn's mouth – placing it on her neck as she brought her face up to capture her lips. They fought for purchase against one another, the moaning became so intermingled Rachel could no longer tell who it was coming from.

Her hands wired themselves in blonde hair before clutching at Quinn's back, she pulled blindly at the blonde's shirt, pulling it up quickly. She traced the back of the blonde's bra before pulling the shirt up to her neck.

"Take it off baby."

She whispered into Quinn's ear. The blonde trembled atop her before sitting up and pulling her leg over Rachel, sitting up suddenly in a straddling position. She raised her arms into the air and dragged the cotton over her neck and face before settling her eyes back on Rachel – they were dark and penetrating. Rachel gasped.

"You're everything I've always wanted. Come here." She crooned as she felt Quinn's hands splay themselves on her torso.

"First, this has to go." Quinn leaned down and brushed soft lips against Rachel's bellybutton before grabbing the hem of the offending shirt in between her teeth, clutching it as she dragged it slowly up Rachel's body, her chin brushed against a sheathed nipple as she trailed upwards, and Rachel bucked upwards into her – her eyes fluttering. Quinn smiled naughtily before pushing Rachel's arms up and dragging the material over her face and neck.

When she pulled back down, Rachel was panting beneath her, her hands were rubbing dark circles into her hip bones and her dark chocolate eyes were focused completely on Quinn. The blonde was enraptured, she buried her face into the brunette's hot neck and her tongue darted out, kissing and sucking and lingering there. Marking her for sure. Her hand found it's way to Rachel's bra, cupping it gently as she nibbled before dragging digits languidly over a roughened peak. Rachel moaned.

"God Quinn, touch me." The blonde acquiesced, pulling the fabric down quickly and finding fleshy, hard nipple with her fingers. She dragged over them as she caressed. Rachel moaned into her ear with each stroke of her fingers.

"Baby, it's hot. Shit it's hot." The summer heat was sweltering as the sun descended overhead. They were both still wearing their jeans as they squirmed together on the back seat amid boxes and leather.

"Take off your pants."

Rachel's eyes widened as Quinn continued to lick at her neck, before she clutched at her button and zipper, sliding them down her sticky legs - the relief was instant as the cool air hit her legs, but they soon inflamed again as Quinn clutched a thigh blindly and hotly, trailing her way to cup her butt over her underwear.

"It can't just be me taking off my pants, and only having my bra half-way on Quinn Fabray."

Rachel trilled hotly against Quinn's ear. Her breath tickled, and the blonde trembled at the sensation. She nodded quickly before catching her own button and zipper and pulling her own jeans off half-hazardly while still leaning over Rachel. And now the two of them groaned as they felt each other's heat really for the first time. Quinn had settled her self atop one of Rachel's thighs, and the wetness from between her legs was hot and apparent, Rachel bucked into the feeling sending shivers down Quinn's spine. The blonde's eyebrows fluttered shut as her teeth bit down on her bottom lip.

"Fuck, blueberry do that again." She panted as Rachel canted her leg up again, allowing the pressure to hit just right against that bundle of pleasure right….there.

"Right there, baby."

Quinn moaned out, her hips were moving of their own accord now, sliding back and forth over Rachel's leg - The brunette stopped to watch and was awe-struck. Quinn was so hot, it was over-bearing. Rachel moaned out loud as she watched her taking her pleasure slowly. Quinn looked down then, at the wide-eyed brunette beneath her. Her right hand was caressing the hem of her underwear while the other played with her exposed nipple, tugging at it desperately as chocolate orbs watched and locked on her body as she bucked into Rachel's thigh.

Quinn bent down, hips still swaying to meet Rachel's as she nibbled down on that nipple – sending a tense ripple surging through Rachel's incensed body. The blonde licked and swirled, pulling with her teeth and dragging languid strokes across Rachel's chest. The brunette's back arched into the desire and that's when her hand traced Rachel's hip, meeting the brunette's small one at the hemline of her panties. Quinn looked up then to watch Rachel's face as she guided the small diva's hand underneath the fabric at her waist, clutching at the heat and wetness she found there.

"Oh _fuck_." Rachel canted as her hips bucked at the heat of her and Quinn's hand intertwined between her legs. "Do you want me to stop?"

"Quinn Fabray, you finish what you fucking started." Rachel moaned. Quinn smiled down into Rachel's chest, reclaiming hardened nipples as she graced over hot folds, letting her hand guide Rachel's smaller one – together tracing the brunette's wet heat. Rachel was falling apart around her.

"Don't be a tease." She begged over and over as fingers gave light touches. When the trembling beneath her was almost too much to bear, Quinn inserted one finger slowly inside the brunette's divine folds, making sure to stroke at the nerve bundle with her thumb in unison. Rachel moaned so loudly – Quinn bit her tongue.

"You're so beautiful blueberry."

Quinn gasped out as hips bucked against hands. Quinn matched the canter with her own hips against Rachel's propped up thigh, taking her own pleasure with each thrust of fingers into Rachel's core. The blonde felt like a dog in heat as she bucked rapidly against Rachel's leg as the brunette squeezed her hand, increasing their pace. Rachel used her hand to urge another one of Quinn's fingers inside – curling them to fit exactly and mold to _that_ spot. The brunette squeezed her eyes shut as she clutched to Quinn's back, dragging nails across the skin – welting it. Her other hand fumbled against their intertwined blazing skin – finding what she was searching for.

She placed a hot hand between Quinn's legs as she bucked into hot thighs. And the brunette clenched at the wetness. Quinn almost collapsed on top of her at the unexpected pressure. She moaned loudly against Rachel's ear as her hips swirled. Rachel found the edge of the underwear, quickly pushing it aside and touching wet flesh and curls, she swiped a digit against the blonde, lingering on the nub – and Quinn trembled. Her hips growing more and more erratic as their desire would soon encapsulate them.

"Look at me."

Rachel begged as she continued to stroke at Quinn, placing a finger inside heated folds and fucking her in time with her own and Quinn's equal ministrations beneath her panties.

Quinn lifted a flushed face to Rachel's, and bit her lip. "I'm so close blueberry."

She panted as she kissed her on the mouth hotly – tracing tongue everywhere she could find. Rachel moaned in agreement as their combined fingers quickened the pace. Their hips swirled wildly into each other as they kissed and stared into the others eyes.

"Me too. I love you." Rachel panted out as their eyes stayed locked. Quinn kissed her on the nose again before resting her head against Rachel's neck, kissing her open mouthed and sloppily there as she ground into Rachel's fingers within her.

"Oh shit, oh shit. More." Rachel bucked into her and Quinn's hands as Quinn's fingers moved inside her, hitting that spot over and over again. She was sure she would soon spontaneously combust – her body couldn't take it anymore. She tried to hold onto anything she could get her hands on as her muscles lost control and abandon.

"I'm going to come."

She gasped into Quinn's ear as a finger brushed thickly against her nub again – Quinn's hips pushed into hers again and the pressure was just enough. Her body erupted into a fit of uncontrolled hysteria – she felt as though she had just been struck by lightening as her nerve's enflamed and rocked against her core. Her entire body shook as she clutched for common ground and her hips bucked wildly, engulfed by the waves.

Quinn moaned as she straddled Rachel, feeling the clenching of her core and her muscles beneath her. Another thrust of her hips against Rachel's and she too came undone. Her eyes fluttered up to the falling sun as she came - clenching her form to Rachel's as they both came down from unyielding waves. A tear escaped her eyes, as she reached that precipice, and when she looked down at post climax Rachel she couldn't help but feel totally, unconditionally and unceremoniously in love.

"I love you Blueberry."

Quinn panted hotly against Rachel's chest as she came down from her climax. Her arms curled around the diva's sweaty torso as hot breath tickled the skin where Quinn rested. Rachel's eyes stayed closed as she kissed the top of Quinn's head. She sighed as her muscles relaxed into mush around her.

"I love you too." She exclaimed before post-orgasmic sleep overcame her.


	8. Chapter 8

"So no more parties at Turtle's house?" Brittany's eyebrows furrowed sadly as she looked questioningly between Santana, Quinn and Rachel.

"Waff, it's complicated. Q's staying with treasure trail now." Rachel grimaced at the unwelcome term of false endearment – but she didn't say anything since nowadays Santana's taunts held none of the malice they once accrued in the past. It was almost as if the firecracker had warmed up to her – in her own special degrading sort of way at least. With Santana Lopez, you could never ask for much; and so Rachel, took whatever she could get.

"We can have other types of parties B," Quinn reassured the other blonde quickly – she didn't want a recreation of the insect vs. animal fiasco. And so, with an arm draped around Rachel's small waist as they all sat in the grass at a nearby park – she spoke calmly and with promise.

Brittany nodded her head, turning away from her three companions to stare at the playground in the distance.

"I'm going to go ride the swings now." Brittany sat up and without another word walked quietly and quickly to the playground swing set. Santana watched her with faux indifference as her mouth turned down in worry. Her eyes darted after the blonde as she picked at blades of grass – after a few seconds of fidgeting she surfaced, untangling her tan legs from their seated position and rising to follow her blonde counterpart.

"Waff…wait for me." Santana called, Quinn followed their receding bodies with her hazel eyes before squeezing Rachel quickly against her small waist.

"She going to be okay?" Rachel asked as she played with the straps of Quinn's sandals. Quinn turned down to look at the brunette and smiled at the serenity there, the worry – the constant validation of other people before herself. She rested her chin on chocolate tresses and nodded softly.

"Mmmhmm, I think so."

Rachel sighed, looking up at the wayward sun, squinting her eyes at the bright sunlight reigning down on the two of them as they sat intertwined in soft blades of fine grass.

"You don't have to stay with me you know." It was a simple thought across the brunette's journeying mind, and it was a slip of the tongue – simply an out, if Quinn ever needed it, although she hoped against her very being that she wouldn't. Quinn moved her chin and looked down at her curiously. Still stroking absent thumbs against Rachel's side and hip.

"And what makes you think that I would ever want to leave." It was such an un-accusatory answer that Rachel sighed into its effervescence. She smiled lovingly and brightly into the pristine face before her.

"I'm happy. You make me happy, and I wouldn't want to see you anywhere else." Quinn's face softened and she matched the little diva's smile with a brilliant one of her own, before kissing her slowly and sweetly against the nose.

In a few moments the blonde grabbed her cell phone from the grass, slowly beginning to collect her bag and her things before disconnecting from Rachel's warm form and rising up from her seated position.

"Where are you going?" Rachel looked up in confusion, her body feeling oddly cold at the loss of contact even though it was a warm seventy-eight degrees outside. She touched her hip where Quinn's fingertips had lingered moments before subconsciously.

"Get up Blueberry, it's time to vamoose."

Quinn extended a warm hand, and Rachel stared at it skeptically – her eyes wavering back and forth between the warm hand outstretched towards her and the smirking face above her that it was undoubtedly attached to. Rachel grimaced before obliging to the blonde's request, scooting up lazily. As soon as she regained her balance the warm hand was gone and Quinn was walking through the grass ahead of her toward the parking lot. Rachel shrugged in annoyance sneaking a glance behind her at the figures of Brittany and Santana smiling and flying in the swings. Rachel turned back around only to find that Quinn was no longer in sight, the brunette had only had her eyes turned for a split second, and now her blonde was missing entirely.

"Quinn?" She stated, she was growing tired of whatever this thing was that Quinn was playing at. In all honesty the blonde had been acting strangely all day – never lingering for too long, caressing skin almost feather-like to the touch. There were "I love you's" and "Blueberry's" of course – but something…was amiss; and Rachel Berry was no fool. She huffed, curling her fingers into tiny fists before marching – excuse, me – stomping her way to the parking lot. Only her dad's car was missing.

"Quinn Fabray, you get back here!"

She had -ahem, Quinn had driven them in her daddy's car to the park (Hiram was out grocery shopping, and Rachel wasn't too keen on re-experiencing her prowess with a stick shift), Santana and Brittany had met them there soon after, and she remembered parking right in front. Only her daddy's grey Volvo was missing, the lot was empty excuse Santana's red jeep. And Rachel began to panic.

"Quinn?" Her voice was desperate now; her feet started scrambling across the pavement eyes searching dramatically for both the missing vehicle as well as Quinn Fabray. The adrenaline pumped like liquid fire through her warm blooded veins as the brunette scrambled for purchase.

"The car, where's the car. The car, the car. Quinn?" Rachel muttered helplessly to herself as flushed skin and fluttering limbs overcame her. The world was a blur as her eyes whipped themselves in every direction, scanning, hoping for a resolution. And then it came. There was a noise to her left and she turned wide eyes in its direction – gasping out into the air with relief as she clutched her chest.

Quinn was standing in the shade underneath a nearby tree, the car keys were dangling on her pointer finger as she stood propped up against a solitary bike. Smirking down at a fumbling Rachel Berry as she swirled the keychain around a slender digit.

"Holy _shit, _Q that was unacceptable! You had me worried! What the hell?" 

Rachel was still breathing heavily as her adrenaline levels raced to lower themselves – her fingers re-clenched into fists as she calmed. But she was mad, what if something had happened? Just then she could feel warm arms encircling her waist tightly and a soft kiss atop her forehead – she breathed in and smelled Quinn, everything about her. The blonde was stroking her hands across Rachel's back before whispering quietly into her ear before placing a light kiss there.

"Blueberry." She mumbled, "I have something planned, I'm sorry I worried you. But will you trust me? Please say yes.." Rachel took a haggard breath and nodded her head against cotton.

"What about Brit and San?" The brunette asked quietly. "Don't worry about them, I'm sure they'll get along just fine without us, don't you think?"

Rachel nodded again before shooting her head up rapidly almost hitting Quinn's jaw in the process, "But….where is Daddy's car?" - the adrenaline was beginning to pump again as the panic begged to return - spilling over the surface. There was a sudden jingling and Rachel looked up to find Quinn parading a key ring in from of her olive toned face.

"All taken care of kid, now come onnnn. Or we'll be late."

"Late for what...?" Rachel muttered.

Just then Quinn let the small girl go and walked back to the tree, grabbing the bike – it was gray, a retro women's bike with a basket in the back. Quinn guided her purse into the metal cage before beckoning Rachel over.

"Where's the other one?" Rachel inquired as Quinn took her hand, guiding her to the handlebars. The blonde smiled at her, taking a helmet from around the back of the tree where she had hidden them and positioning it over Rachel's head as she smiled down at her.

"Just this one."

Rachel looked behind her at the blonde, perplexed as Quinn mounted herself atop the leather seat.

"Yep, kiddo. You've got the handlebars."

Rachel scoffed, swatting Quinn awkwardly against the arm at the kid reference – because of course, she wasn't _that _short. And also for the fact that the blonde expected her to ride on the handlebars like a common hooligan – wasn't that just utterly unsafe? Was Quinn wishing her a premature death by bike handlebars?

"Quinn Fabray I will not ride th-those handlebars! It's completely unsafe."

Quinn had a feeling her little brunette would say something like that, it was a good thing they weren't going too far. The blonde turned Rachel around and steeled her chocolate eyes with her own before pulling her face down into a sweltering kiss. Her tongue brushed lazily across Rachel's bottom lip easing open its entrance – Rachel fell into the embrace all too easily and Quinn smiled as she pulled lip and tongue with her own. When the blonde finally pulled away for air Rachel was panting wildly and her face careened forward after a pause, hoping to re-capture the heat. Quinn laughed softly before catching the brunette by the shoulders and guiding her down to sit on the front handlebars.

"Nuh uh, kiddo. We'll save that for later."

Rachel's eyes refocused and she gripped the steel frame as her lip pouted.

"Soooo not fair."

Quinn smirked as she noticed Rachel sitting atop the bike in near nonchalance – Rachel Berry will do anything you ask of her if you simply kiss her like crazy beforehand – it was a note for the record books Quinn thought smugly to herself as she kicked off, pedaling out onto the pavement with a squealing Rachel Berry sitting in front of her.

Quinn pedaled along the sidewalk and bike lane, placing un-expecting kisses and touches to Rachel's back as her shirt skirted up in the breeze. And every time, she could feel Rachel grip the handle bars that much tighter before turning around hotly and glaring daggers at Quinn's seemingly innocent face.

"Keep doing that Fabray, and you'll kill us both." She would say, and Quinn would smile sweetly back – perturbed that the diva would even _think_ that Quinn would consciously caress and "turn on" the diva while they rode.

As they began to approach their destination, Rachel had that feeling that she knew almost exactly where they were. They had taken side streets so it was a bit misleading in the beginning, but as a small light blue house grew closer in the distance, Rachel furrowed her eyebrows. Quinn smirked behind Rachel's back as the blonde pulled into Brittany S. Pierce's front lawn, quickly mounting off of the bicycle, she helped Rachel scoot off of the handle bars before leading both bike and girl to the side fence, knocking on it softly.

"Quinn why are we at Britt –," Before the brunette could finish the side gate swung open revealing a beaming Brittany standing before them – wearing black slacks, and a white button down shirt, adorned with vest and bow tie.

"Hi Blueberry, Hi Q!" The blonde beamed at her guests. There was an ominous cough from behind Brittany and the blonde's eyes grew wide before she straightened her posture and her face – hiding behind giggles.

"I mean…Hello Ms. Berry, and Ms. Fabray, welcome to 'The Tree house' may I take your belongings?"

Rachel stared back open-mouthed, before she could say anything Quinn grabbed her hand and smiled brilliantly at hostess Brittany, handing over her small jacket as well as Rachel's before nodding. Brittany collected the items and hurried off behind the fence – a few moments passed and an equally attired Santana presented herself, extending laminated menu's to the two girls before ushering them past the fence and into the backyard.

"Follow me lovebirds." She yelled behind her as she brought them to Brittany's Tree house in the backyard. It was gigantic, with a half porch and two ladders. It was illuminated from within and Quinn smiled at her handiwork – Rachel still looked confused but she gazed at the clubhouse in awe as Santana led her up the ladder. Upon entering through the latch in the floor Rachel's jaw dropped – there before her sat a small table adorned in a white tablecloth – atop it sat a single vase with a solitary lavender rose. Rachel crawled into the room and clutched at her chest tightly as Quinn crawled up behind her.

"Wh-What is this?" Rachel managed between breaths as her eyes pooled.

"Hey, don't cry Blueberry," Quinn wiped away at the brunette's watering eyes with warm hands. "I promised you a first date remember? And I just wanted it to be something special, without a whole lot of people in a restaurant neither of us will remember, surrounded by people who don't matter - here, it's just us…. and It's cheesy I know, but I wanted it to mean something - I needed it to be perfect."

Rachel nodded her head violently before settling it above Quinn's collarbone, taking her in – remembering her, remembering this. "You're perfect. I love it already."

Quinn beamed down at her and pushed their joined bodies over to the table, taking Rachel's hand and guiding her down into her seat while she walked over to her own. Santana came up the ladder then and handed them two glasses as well as utensils.

"Hey kiddies, me and B are your waitresses tonight – if you didn't already guess by the stupid outfits. Anyway. There is a rope and basket attached to that pulley over there. When you need anything or when the food is ready call us, and we'll send it up."

Rachel nodded, smiling brightly at the Latina before she re-descended. Santana scoffed before disappearing from view.

"You came up with all of this? When?" Quinn blushed, toying with her fork idly before she responded.

"Well, after that night that you picked me up from my house last week, I just needed to do something for you because you picked me up, and you made my world bright again. So after moving in to the Berry casa," Quinn smiled then, Rachel smiled tearfully right back.

"I met up with B and San and we came up with…this." The blonde extended her hands out – motioning to their imaginative genius.

"What about the bike? And the car going missing? And how did Brittany and Santana get here so quickly when I saw them swinging at the park when we were leaving? Plus, her jeep was still parked in the parking lot…"

Quinn smiled devilishly, "Leroy, he had the spare keys and moved the car wayyyyyy before we even left. I had been texting between him and San the entire time we were at the park. Brittany and Santana were at the swing set on purpose, and when we left your dad swung around and picked them up, dropping them off here. As for the bike… It's Brittany's, I borrowed it – Santana brought it in her jeep and left it out by the tree after pulling in to the parking lot."

Rachel's jaw dropped. "You had my daddy help you with this whole thing?" Quinn laughed, tracing the tabletop with warm fingers. "Yea, of course. What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't ask your dads if I could take you on our first date?"

Of course Rachel knew that they had crossed that relationship boundary long ago – more specifically the night of Quinn's complete dishevelment and rebirth in the back of her daddy's '06 Volvo S40. It was way more than sex, both girls knew – their love was both physically and emotionally potent and present. And since then they had never officially stated their new ground, but it had always been there. It had been there in the pencil strokes against blank canvas by Quinn's steadying hand, it had watched them as they kissed heatedly in the Fabray study – sticky with sweat and wanton for a single touch. It had followed them as they held each other amid Quinn's fallout – and here it was, one word, escaping gorgeous lips - validating everything they were and would become.

"I'm you're girlfriend." Rachel exhaled softly, letting all the emotion of the word cascade over their forms, washing them - validating them. Quinn breathed in release. "And you're mine Blueberry, you are mine."

There was a knocking against the wood of the clubhouse and both girls jumped out of their shared revelry. Looking out of the window, Quinn found an annoyed Santana holding pebbles in one hand, and a bottle of Martinelli's apple cider in the other.

"It's about fucking time. I've been trying to get your attention for forever. Drinks are served…by the way, you two fuckers better choose dinner in the next ten minutes or me and Brits are finite – I don't have all goddamn night."

Quinn rolled her eyes and pulled the rope up as Santana settled the bottle of sparkling apple cider within it. It was carted up in moments – soon to be opened by the blissful couple. Rachel scanned over the laminated menu that she had been given when they walked into the backyard:

"Portobello mushroom stuffed ravioli in wine sauce, vegetable paella with honey rolls, grilled eggplant burger with dairy free cheese and sun dried tomatoes, with a side of sautéed greens…Quinn where did all of this food come from? And it's all Vegan…"

Quinn smiled knowingly, certain that she'd struck gold again. "When Hiram went grocery shopping today – he picked us up a few things….and Brittany cooks – I don't think I ever told you, but she watches the Food Network like a religion. And she comes up with a lot of her own recipes. She volunteered to be our sous chef tonight…. and I know you're a vegan, those crepes and pancakes at your house were great…but totally dairy free, so we came up with a menu that I think the both of us will equally enjoy."

Rachel smiled again; her blonde had definitely thought of everything – they toasted their chilled sparkling cider before yelling for Santana. Rachel chose the ravioli, and Quinn the paella – the two girls ate animatedly, marveling in the flavors and stealing kisses along the way. They laughed and they cried – enjoying their first date wholeheartedly.

As the sun lowered in the setting sky Quinn called for Santana, giving her a hand signal that she would of course know – And within moments the air was rife with music, sweet, soft music. Who else would it be than Etta James? The cassette had been one of the first things that Quinn had grabbed as she packed her boxes in the house she was no longer welcome within. And how could she not? Etta was the marker for all of the positive things in her life, a surfacing as a child, a re-emergence as a young adult – and a succumbed fighter to love – Etta had heard it all, and so it would most definitely be Etta, hearing this too.

"_All I need, Is someone like you_

_My dearest darling, _

_Please love me to-o-o,_

_Within my heart I pray your answer's yes,_

_I'll make your life,_

_Full of happiness…."_

Quinn extended a hand and dragged Rachel up out of her chair, wrapping warm arms around her waist – she was met with similarly warm limbs intertwining themselves around her neck as the two girls swayed together in the brilliant dusk. Quinn's hair was set off against the purple's and the oranges as they danced slowly in circles – all the while humming to the tune.

"_Oh nothing, nothing, nothing _

_in this world can keep us apart._

_My dearest darling,_

_I'm offering my heart." _

They stayed like that forever, holding each other together as they danced and held one another. As soon as the sun had set the Christmas lights struck on – Quinn smiled, yet another home run for the blonde. Rachel glowered marvelously in the soft light, flickering in and out of moonlight as they swayed, and when they passed by the table again, Quinn snatched the rose out of the vase – repositioning it in Rachel's dark hair.

Rachel sighed into the blonde around her and whispered into a trembling ear, "Why a lavender rose? what does that color represent?"

Quinn shook with emotion – and love as she whispered right back,

"It means…that you enchant me. The Lavender rose is a symbol of love and adoration at first sight, as well as intention. It is a promise that love is and always will be everlasting between the giver and the receiver. They're also seen as wondrous, unattainable and magical – and you are all of those things to me and more."

Rachel blushed under the heat – Quinn's breath had tickled her ear, but her words had undoubtedly stolen her heart.

"Lavender." Rachel sighed quietly into Quinn's neck as her cheek rested there again – and the two of them swayed, humming tunes to music that had long since ended while Santana and Brittany lay sprawled out below on the grass – intertwined hands and fingers – steady gazing at stars that seemed possibly reachable – breathing in hazy air and summer aromas as they smiled into the night.


	9. Chapter 9

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Thank you all for the reviews and kind words. I'm having such a blast writing. This is like my first actual fic where I have a whole story and not just a beginning, so I'm glad someone out there is enjoying reading it as much as I'm enjoying writing it :DDD

any-who, this chapter is a bit short, extension of the date night. A little smuttiness for everyone to enjoy haha.

The night was ending wonderfully. Rachel had fallen asleep leaning against the grass in Brittany's backyard. After their dance they had lowered themselves from the clubhouse to join Bug and Waffle – stargazing into the night. And when Quinn looked down to smile at her brunette, Rachel was fast asleep, her breath coming out in slow rhythmic motions. Quinn smiled and dragged her up – waking her tenderly.

"Hey kiddo, time for bed." Rachel shook her head slowly, her eyes still half lidded.

"Hmm? I wasn't sleeping." Quinn laughed, before pulling Rachel up, dragging her across the lawn and out the side gate. The bike wouldn't do right now of course, and that was precisely why she smiled as she locked hazel eyes on the Volvo, sitting in Brittany's garage with a note attached to the windshield.

Letting go of Rachel quietly, Quinn reached out grabbing and opening the small piece of paper:

Hope you girls had a wonderful night. It was my pleasure to help, Quinn.

Keys are in the mailbox. Drive safely xo – Leroy.

The blonde smiled, and hurried over to the mailbox, retrieving the spare keys quickly before returning and placing Rachel into the passenger seat. The diva was groggy and only halfway awake and once her head hit the seat cushion – her eyes fluttered shut quickly and her breath evened out. She was asleep again.

Quinn crawled into the driver's seat and turned the car on, putting it into first as she rolled out of the driveway - she was a much better stick shift driver than Rachel. In fact, she liked driving stick better, it was exhilarating to know that she had complete control over the vehicle, plus changing gears looked way sexier – you had to admit.

They arrived at the Berry casa ten minutes later and Quinn pulled into the garage before dragging Rachel out of the car and pulling her upstairs to her bedroom. Quinn opened the door quickly pulling Rachel inside and laying her down on top of her covers. The brunette was blinking groggily as she curled into her pillows. The blonde smiled – Rachel was adorable. Absolutely adorable.

"Hey sleepyhead, you need to change into your PJ's."

Quinn whispered at the curled up brunette lying down in front of her. Rachel swatted her hand lazily in the air before mumbling something incoherent that sounded a lot like,

"Nooo…change…in…the morning."

Quinn shook her head and flicked her tongue before grabbing Rachel by the waist and rolling her over – much to the diva's protests. The blonde began to pull Rachel's white v-neck up and around her torso, her eyes lingered but this wasn't the time for fleeting touches. Rachel pouted her lips as her eyes fluttered somewhere between open and closed as she pulled her arms up behind her head and Quinn dragged the fabric over torso, neck, head, and arms.

The white t-shirt was replaced softly by one of the brunettes large Minnie Mouse ones. Quinn smiled at the image before her – making sure to permanently record it to memory. She chanced a fleeting butterfly kiss to Rachel's closed eyelids before moving graceful hands to unbutton her jeans and zipper. Quinn pulled the offending denim down slender hips, ending at the sleepy diva's feet, pulling softly and dragging the clothing to the floor. She turned around to grab a pair of boy shorts out of Rachel's closet and when she returned to adorn them the brunette kicked her legs out lazily – rejecting their adornment.

"Hey, Blueberry – I'm trying to help you pull up your PJ bottoms. Sit still." Quinn whispered as another tan leg swatted out of her reach.

"Nuh uh…its hot…going to sleep…it's too hot." She mumbled against her pillows as the blonde rolled her eyes. Quinn stepped back, throwing the PJ shorts in a corner before heading back to the bedroom door – hitting that light switch as she stood against the doorframe. Quinn had been living here with the Berry's for about a week now. Upstairs in the guest bedroom – they were everything if not completely, selflessly hospitable and knowing that there were people out there who cared – stilled her quivering heart. She had a home for now – and she had a wonderful girlfriend – who had undoubtedly stolen her heart for her own keeping.

She sighed into the frame as she watched Rachel breathe in the dark. And right as she was about to close the door all of the way there was a mumbling coming from the brunette – who was supposed to be asleep in her bed.

"Quinn?" She called out quietly, "don't leave. Stay."

Her words dwindled off into a sigh as she shifted on the bed. Quinn acquiesced, how could she not? And as she walked over to Rachel's bed she kicked off her shorts and top, grabbing a PJ shirt blindly from the dresser as she made her way over. She tucked cool arms around Rachel's abdomen and slid in behind her – curling into her like a perfect fit. Her face buried in dark brown hair as she drifted her eyes closed and hummed an open mouthed kiss to warm skin. And then she closed her eyes and her breathing steadied – drifting her off into sleep.

An uncertain number of hours passed, and she could suddenly feel pressure building around her torso – it was at times hot, and wet and warm, she whimpered in her sleep as her eyes fluttered between closed lids. The world was coming into sharp focus as the feeling remained. She felt as if she'd been doused in propane and set passionately ablaze.

"Baby."

Rachel crooned as she licked her swirling tongue across pale flesh, scooping into the blonde's bellybutton while her hands griped and teased hips and breasts, rolling hardened nipples between fingers and thumbs. Quinn gasped awake – her body was on full alert as her hazel eyes darkened at the sudden alarm.

"Rachel-l-l-l" Quinn choked out as her nerves vibrated. Her voice was extra raspy from its lack of use while she slept – and her hair was splayed around her like a halo as she panted for air – up and down her chest heaved as Rachel twisted hot nipples, licking, nibbling, and caressing skin with mouth and lips as she descended.

Teeth dragged lazily at the hem of the blonde's panties, before pulling them down. There was a warm breath against her center and she groaned. Rachel laughed – deep and passionately as she nuzzled between Quinn's bent legs, still holding onto thin underwear with her teeth.

"I couldn't sleep away the night of our first date without properly thanking you –" she cooed as the tip of her tongue swiped quickly over that very sensitive bundle of nerves and Quinn arched into the touch moaning, whimpering, falling apart. The blonde looked over at the clock on Rachel's night table and smirked as she saw the time: 4:32am.

"Thanks for waking me up." Quinn replied smugly before losing all of her composure as Rachel hummed into her from below.

"Mmmhmm" She mumbled as she hummed back into the potent bundle of nerves before alternating with wide swipes across southern expanse. Her tongue darted in - Quinn stilled as her body shivered against the sensation, one of her hands gripped brunette hair as she crumbled into the feeling. Her legs bent and her toes curled as she rocked her hips into Rachel's unwavering mouth. The brunette incensed and met the blonde's hips gloriously with new swirls, and sucks and licks to her core.

"Oh god."

Quinn mumbled almost incoherently as she trembled. She was spewing incoherencies as she rocked and bucked wildly. And then - then, suddenly there was a pressure within her that she hadn't been expecting, a finger entered slowly, swiping at her inner walls gloriously – and then another. The blonde's eyes widened and she stared half-lidded eyes down at her diva – Rachel was staring back with equally desire-laden irises as she rocked fingers against the blonde's bud and within her walls. Eyes still locked on Quinn, she re-descended, and re-entered her tongue into the vitriolic mix.

Quinn jumped, her eyes shut closed tightly as she lost control. She was so ready that her body ached for release - her neck strained wildly and her head whipped from side to side, trying to find a release that was almost there…almost….almost there.

"I'm almost… - " The blonde mumbled in one of the sexiest voiced Rachel had ever heard.

The brunette needed to see – she brought up the hand that was gripping and rubbing circles along Quinn's thigh and brought it up to Quinn's mouth, letting the blonde suck at her fingers before Rachel sat up, laying herself flat on top of Quinn as she kept her fingers moving down below. She kissed hot skin as she trailed her mouth back up to hardened nipples, before reaching her jaw. The diva burned a trail of open-mouthed kisses as the girl beneath her bucked and careened as skilled fingers worked tirelessly.

Rachel's own underwear was soaking as she performed - as she lay across Quinn she bucked hips downward meeting pelvic bone and soft skin. Her core was hitting just right and she kept up the pace moaning as she trailed slick fingers all over Quinn's body. They rocked into each other for minutes as Rachel worked her fingers against Quinn's core. Their mixed moans intertwined and tangled as their combined breathing burned.

"I'm…" Quinn mumbled as her hips rocked just right and Rachel swiped along that glorious section of her walls again – rocking her own core as she moaned into hot skin.

"Come on love." The brunette whispered as she put perfect pressure against that hidden spot inside of Quinn, rocking fingertips over it again and again.

"Rachel…" she whispered in response, it was low and wanting. And then the blonde disintegrated. Her words lost their grip and her head whipped up as her back arched and her knees bent into spastic contractions. Her core trembled and quaked with the waves as her mouth fired off beautiful incoherencies and her fingers clenched.

"_of fuck_,"

Rachel stammered as with every muscle spasm of her hips the brunette felt the heat of her center scorch and flame. She had watched Quinn unravel – seen her eyes dip back and her mouth open in a beautiful "o" as she came. And as the diva clamored atop her climactic precipice she felt hot trembling hands grab her hips guiding her back and forth over porcelain skin. She opened her eyes and Quinn had regained some of her composure – the blonde was biting her lower lip, and her eyes were lidded as she quickly trailed a hand down Rachel's panties while the other continued to hold her afloat.

"Your turn." She cooed as she cupped the brunette and brought a long finger all the way down, pressing a hot thumb to her clit as she went. Rachel reared her head back as she rocked over a bent leg. Hips canting higher and higher,

Rachel intertwined her fingers with the ones Quinn had clutching along her hip as the blonde stroked and pulled – entering and exiting deliciously against her core.

"You're so wet." Quinn whispered, not as turn on, but mostly as an admonition, the brunette nodded and whimpered as she rocked harder into the fingers within her. And soon she was falling – her precipice dissipating in the fog of her brain as her muscles clenched and she rode out the climactic waves that threatened to drown her entirely. Her head lolled back as she shook, and she bit her tender lip for control as she came. When the last spasms died out she fell forward – Quinn's fingers still inside of her—and kissed her girlfriend hazily on the mouth, their noses and cheeks brushing together in the afterglow.

Their mutual post climactic exhaustion overcame them quickly, and Quinn waveringly removed her hand from inside of Rachel's damp underwear, already missing the warmth. The two girls curled in to one another, kissing every now and then as their bodies intertwined in the glow before sleep took control of their hazy eyes.

"I love you" Rachel mumbled as she burrowed her face deep into Quinn. The blonde, half asleep herself replied in a half sigh, "I love you too, Blue." And they fell asleep in each other's arms, not to be awoken until late morning.

6


	10. Chapter 10

9:34am –

She woke up and sighed as she ran a lazy hand through her sand colored hair. Her brunette was lying semi on top of her still sleeping – the Minnie Mouse shirt riding up dangerously against her torso as she slept. Quinn still in a state of half consciousness blindly ruffled through her discarded shorts at the foot of the bed, extracting her mini sketchpad and pencil that she always carried around with her and drawing the scene that unfolded before her. After about twenty minutes – she disregarded the tiny sketch as a failure and pushed it aside before drifting back off to sleep.

10:42am –

Quinn was still sleeping the brunette thought as she shrugged awake. Her skin was hot and she looked down noticing that she was smothering Quinn with her small body – that was probably a contributing factor. She groaned before scanning over the room, eyes groggily settling on the blonde's tiny little sketchbook set down between their bodies, a rough sketch of Rachel was drawn there and Rachel stared at herself in graphite form for moments before smiling and flipping the small page and collecting the pencil off of the nightstand. The little diva took a few moments to sketch Quinn on the new page before setting the sketchbook down again and getting up out of the bed so that she could go shower, kissing the blonde lightly against the forehead as she untangled herself.

10:57am –

Quinn opened her groggy eyes and rubbed them as she stretched her muscles out across the bed. Her arm hit something on her pillow and she turned her head to see her sketchbook – as she went to pick it up she noticed that the drawing was different than the one she had done earlier, and when she did a closer inspection she smiled and laughed out loud against Rachel's pillow. There was a stick figure drawing on the paper with a silly half smile and wearing a Cheerio uniform. Her hair consisted of two long lines with curves at the end. The bottom of the paper had a line of cursive writing adorned with a tiny star:

"Morning Gorgeous. Like my art skills? I'd have you wearing that Cheerio outfit all of the time if it were up to me. ;) – Blueberry"

The blonde looked at her surroundings then, realizing that the artist was missing from bed. Quinn got up, scratching her hipbone above her underwear and under Rachel's pajama shirt as she looked around the brunette's room. As she ambled her way off of the bed she finally looked down at the shirt she had put on hastily in the dark the night before, smirking at the huge montage of all of the Disney Princesses - Rachel _would_ have a t-shirt with the princesses on it - Quinn thought comically. She made it to the bedroom door and could hear the shower running in the hall bathroom. Since Rachel and Quinn were the only two occupying the upstairs bedrooms, she wasn't extremely tentative about walking and opening the door while still only half dressed – tousled hair and all.

The brunette didn't hear the door click open as she showered, she was in the middle of a vigorous lather and she sang softly as she scrubbed – a classic shower song if you will. Quinn smirked as she heard the familiar hum of "Part of Your World" from the little mermaid wafting through the dense steam. "Really Rachel?" Quinn thought as she looked down at her shirt again, laughing out lout again as she approached the curtain. Her brunette was such a dork - a sexy, hot, Disney loving, little minx of a dork if Quinn did say so herself.

The blonde poked her head through the curtain at the end of the shower, watching Rachel hum and mumble words to the classic Disney song as she squeezed shampoo into her palm out of the large purple bottle. "Ahem," Quinn coughed and Rachel turned, letting out a small yelp at the unnoticed intrusion.

"Oh my god." Rachel shrieked as her heart palpitated, she began to calm though as soon as she realized who her intruder was, laughing at herself as she re-straightened herself, continuing to pour shampoo in her outstretched palm. Quinn smiled brilliantly as she removed her Disney shirt and underwear quickly before stepping into the warm stream of water behind Rachel, wrapping now wet arms around Rachel's bare body, interlocking them as the warm stream hit tired skin.

"Joining me, baby?" Rachel whispered as she stood under the stream, swaying against the warmth. Quinn nodded from behind, into the crook of her neck before taking the shampoo bottle out of Rachel's hands for herself – scooping it into her palms quickly before applying it to Rachel's hair. Her hands wove and dragged lightly through brown hair and against soft scalp as she lathered.

"I saw your drawing – who knew Rachel Berry had a fetish for Cheerio's uniforms?" Quinn said softly as she lathered brown locks. Rachel smirked, "Not a fetish for Cheerio uniforms per se, but definitely an affinity for watching her girlfriend's skirt ride up and sway as she stalked down the hallway – that outfit is a godsend Fabray – don't think I never noticed."

Quinn laughed as her fingers worked smoothly. She made a mental note to remember that – Rachel Berry had a fetish for a girl in uniform, another point to add to her endless list of advantages. Their talk died down as the brunette's muscles relaxed peacefully into the solid form behind her. Rachel's head tipped back and her eyes closed as Quinn lathered her hair for her – her humming re-started and Quinn laughed again as "Part of Your World" encapsulated them.

"What's so funny?" Rachel interjected curiously, pausing her song. Quinn smiled before answering. "You are. Who sings "Little Mermaid" songs in the shower? You're a dork."

Rachel scoffed wildly, "Quinn Fabray, '_The Little Mermaid'_ is a classic film from the Disney Renaissance of the late 1980's and early to mid 1990's, and it's a classic piece with a wonderful composition and score by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. It's my go to shower song…naturally."

Quinn laughed again as she continued to lather and massage the brunette's scalp. "I'm just messing with you blue. I love the old Disney movies. But _my favorite_ was always '_Aladdin_' – Princess Jasmine is such a catch." The blonde smirked.

"'_Aladdin_' Quinn? Really? It's great, with a great score but not the top of my list." Rachel turned around then letting the water cascade through her hair, letting the suds fall and run down her back and into the drain. When she was done she twisted her hair at her neck and faced Quinn grabbing the shower Gel and beginning to run the suds across the blonde's shoulders and upper chest. Quinn thrummed into the sensation, fluttering her eyes as her muscles relaxed.

"Name your top 10 then Berry." Rachel tilted her head in concentration. Quinn smiled at the gesture – it was cute.

"Ok, number one, '_Beauty and the Beast_,' that's a masterpiece, no competition. Number two, '_The Little Mermaid_,' Ariel is gorgeous. Number three, '_Cinderella_.' Then come '_Snow White_,' '_Sleeping Beauty_,' and '_Aladdin_.' Number seven '_Pocahontas_,' Number eight '_Mulan_' and number nine and ten are both '_Mary Poppins_' and '_The Lion King_' respectively."

Quinn scrunched her eyebrows as Rachel lathered her abdomen and ribs softly and concentrically. "But those last two aren't princess movies…"

"Obviously, but if we were doing an all encompassing list, Mary Poppins would be at the top – no competition. Julie Andrews deserves her own _category._" The brunette ushered Quinn around so that Rachel could scrub and massage her back.

"So Beauty and the Beast then? That's your favorite princess movie?" Rachel gave the blonde an eager yes as she massaged dual shoulder blades. "Tell me why."

"Well…it's an iconic love story. Call me a hopeless romantic but the idea of a girl of high intelligence, falling for the very person who she isn't meant to – The Beast. Some psychologists say that the story is a classic case of Stockholm syndrome – of a victim of abuse returning to her abuser. But I honestly look at the story and see love. Love, and most of all forgiveness."

Quinn smiled calmly – "you look like Belle."

Rachel smiled again against Quinn's back, "You can be my -"

"Don't you dare say that I can be the Beast to your Beauty. I will not be that hideous creature." The blonde quipped quickly.

"But Quinn! He turns into a handsome prince in the end! You're my prince Phillip!"

"No. I will not be a boy. I want to be a princess too." Quinn pouted overdramatically as she lowered her eyes to the spray of water.

Rachel bent down to lather the blonde's lower backside and upper legs, stopping then to smile and place an open mouthed kiss against the dimples at the blonde's lower back, tracing them quickly with a taste of warm tongue. She finished her descent, washing beautiful porcelain calves and ankles and feet before rising again to rest her head by Quinn's shoulder, whispering into her damp ear from behind.

"Will you be my Sleeping Beauty?"

Quinn shivered from the feel of her. – That tingle running down her back now was most definitely not because of the water. She nodded, sure that if she said anything her voice would come out choppy and cracked. Somehow the blonde had forgotten about their mutual nakedness as they talked in the shower – but now as the talking died off and the water pounded methodically against their warm bodies, their nakedness was more apparent than ever.

Rachel laughed, swooping a warm hand down squeezing Quinn's butt playfully before she grabbed her towel off of the rack and walked out of the shower – patting her wet hair as she disappeared behind the other side of the curtain. The blonde scrunched up her face in frustration as her body tingled, she switched the nozzle and now the shower was cold, exactly what she needed after _that_.

"You suck." Quinn yelled through the curtain as she soaked her skin in cool water—calming her breathing. She could hear Rachel turn on the blow dryer in the near distance; chuckling to herself she was sure.

"Oh I know – and according to the way you were screaming my name last night – I must suck pretty damn good."

Quinn let out a breathless whimper as her body began to heat from within despite the cold shower. Damn Rachel Berry and her sexiness. Quinn didn't reply – she was currently incapacitated, and Rachel continued on as if nothing she said was out of the ordinary, as though she wasn't affected at all.

"You love me, plus – I don't deem it especially appropriate to engage in 'the dirty' in our hall bathroom, my dads would have sooo been able to hear us and that would have been absolutely mortifying. Even though you're so fucking hot when you moan out my name."

Quinn stilled, thankful that she was still standing mostly under the cold water. It was true that Quinn had been living here for the better part of a week however the Berry men clearly stated that the blonde and brunette were to have strict bedroom privileges, and no 'sleepovers.' Of course, said protocol was completely thrown to the wind last night when Quinn and Rachel came back from their date. Luckily Rachel's dads had been asleep upon their arrival – and it being Saturday, they had left the house early to attend the Flea Market.

"Naughty mouth Berry, I didn't know you could talk like that…well, in normal un aroused conversation at least –,"

Rachel didn't reply and so Quinn kept talking as she threw some shampoo into her hair massaging casually.

"They didn't say the bathroom was off limits though." Quinn quipped, making sure to drag out her words with sultry assuredness – if Rachel was leaving her horny and frustrated, she would do the same. Quinn liked to play dirty – hell, she was a pro.

Still no reply from Rachel and so curiously, the blonde slipped her wet face through the curtain – capturing Rachel's dark eyes staring right back at her. Quinn scrunched her eyebrows and then looked at the shower curtain – now painfully aware of the way her body was silhouetted against the material – illuminated by the sunlight coming in from the window directly above the shower. Quinn could see her shadow in full glory – and she was obvious Rachel was getting the full view from the way the brunette's mouth watered. Quinn licked her lips painfully slowly before smirking at her girlfriend.

"You perv." The blonde quipped, smiling devilishly at Rachel before sticking her head back inside the shower and rinsing it quickly – she skipped the condition completely – she needed to finish this for as long as she had Rachel's undivided attention. Now consciously aware of dark eyes on her silhouetted form, Quinn used every measurement and every movement to her advantage. Stretching her legs, dragging slow fingers up her body – she lathered her breasts slowly – sure Rachel must be dying behind the curtain. A final rinse and she reached for a towel over the railing before emerging from the tub.

She held the towel in one hand, drying and tussling her hair with it - completely disregarding her body. And so it was in this state – wet, dripping water droplets all over the floor – and completely naked that Quinn Fabray walked right past a shivering brunette and out of the bathroom door. Making sure to hit the little Diva's towel clad bum on her departure – for good measure of course. Rachel bit her lip, trying to hold in her in-dismissible arousal at the blonde's antics before cursing and turning back to her blow dryer. That blonde would get them both into heaps and heaps of trouble – she knew it.

After that oddly enlightening shower, both girls got dressed in their respective bedrooms before ending up downstairs in the kitchen – When Rachel descended it was to find Quinn scavenging through the cabinets for something to eat.

"I thought you sad dad went grocery shopping yesterday?" Quinn smirked then before turning back to opening cabinets.

"Well he did – but the stuff he bought was for our date…so, still no food in the house." Rachel blushed slightly before moving forward and grabbing a box of vegan cereal from the shelf and soymilk out of the fridge.

"Cereal it is then." She quipped happily before pouring them both a bowl. Quinn shrugged her shoulders – this wasn't really a meal but hell – she was going out to meet Santana and Brittany today anyway, and from what she could remember Rachel had plans of her own for lunch and so the cereal would have to suffice. They both sat at the table eating their cereal before Rachel piped up from her seat.

"So, what have you got planned for today?"

"I'm meeting San and B for lunch at that little deli down the corner from the library – do you know which one I'm talking about? I think it's called 'The Clover.' What about you Blue – I think you told me the other day that you were meeting someone for lunch today too."

"Yep! I'm just meeting up with Kurt and Mercedes. We all haven't really hung out since school got out for summer vacation and I thought it would be nice to have a nice lunch together or something."

"Sounds fun babe." Quinn smiled as she finished her bowl, and taking Rachel's equally empty one she brought them to the sink rinsing them before placing them in the dishwasher.

"You want me to give you a ride over before I head to lunch with San?"

Because of the new houseguest and the increased use of the car. Leroy had told the girls they were welcome to make use of it since the family owned two and both girls had licenses. However, they weren't allowed to use it at night or early in the morning without permission – and a message and/or phone call was to be left for the fathers before its use. Soon after moving in Quinn had given them her insurance policy information – assuring them that she was covered. It was too bad that her own car was locked in the garage of her 'former' home. Who knew when she would get the privilege of having it back – if ever?

"Of course!" Rachel beamed, quickly placing a tender kiss to the blonde's nose before grabbing her purse off of the kitchen counter and hurrying out of the front door, hand and fingers intertwined with Quinn's as they sat down – driving away blissfully into the summer day.

12:28pm

Kurt sat up in his patio chair at the front of the restaurant, wickedly aware of the fact that Rachel wasn't there. He scanned the surrounding street before placing a freshly manicured hand against his chin as he huffed at Mercedes. Something was off.

"Rachel is late."

Mercedes rolled her eyes dramatically before taking a sip of the water the waitress had provided a few minutes earlier.

"What are you talking about Kurt? We're supposed to meet here at 12:30, and it's only 12:28, you are straight buggin.'"

Kurt rolled his eyes in return.

"Mercedes, this is Rachel. When is she ever late, if not painfully early? She always shows up at least fifteen minutes before anyone else. And so her being on time or at the very least _late_ to an event – albeit as mundane as lunch- would be like a mortal Jewish sin."

"Mortal Jewish sin? I don't think it works like that. But, I got you – you're right that is kinda weird."

Just then a silver car pulled up curb front and a beaming, if not severely flushed Rachel Berry emerged from the passenger side door. Just as quickly an equally flushed Quinn Fabray disentangled herself from the driver side – hopping out of the car quickly – both girls wearing matching grins, Quinn's albeit a bit more devilish than usual. They walked up onto the curb in tandem, spotting Kurt and Mercedes at their patio table, the blonde and brunette duo made their way over hastily. Rachel smiled and waved – Quinn quirked an eyebrow.

Kurt stared back in puzzlement. What the hell was Quinn HBIC Fabray doing dropping Rachel Berry off to lunch? Mercedes sipped on her water quickly as her own face registered the anomaly. The dark diva patted Kurt's leg viciously underneath the table – calling his attention to the approaching girls, Kurt swatted her away quickly before composing himself in record speed, smiling just as the two girls arrived. He checked his watch out of the corner of his eye: 12:31pm.

"Hello Rachel, Quinn." He crooned as he rose to hug the brunette and give an awkward head nod to the blonde – he watched as Rachel beamed back at him, but not before sneaking a glance at the girl beside her. He saw Quinn's fingers fidget near her pockets, mere inches away from Rachel's own hand – and he beamed at them both while Rachel took a seat at the table hugging Mercedes.

"Hi Mercedes" Quinn smiled, also giving the diva a long hug. Oh yea, Kurt thought, they did become close – he watched curiously as Quinn lifted herself back up, propping a hand against the back of Rachel's chair nonchalantly – but to an inquisitive eye, it almost looked possessive. The blonde smiled brightly again,

"Have a nice lunch you three." She said as she turned on her heel and marched back to her idle vehicle, climbing in quickly and driving away. And was that Rachel following the blonde's disappearing form with attentive eyes? Yes, Kurt thought, it most _definitely _was.

He turned his eyes to Mercedes, the diva gave him a knowing grin – her eyes sparkling. Apparently the tension wasn't lost on her either. And then Kurt smiled his most charming grin, turning bright eyes onto Rachel Berry's seated form.

"So, tell me Rachel. How's your summer going? He crooned wickedly.


	11. Chapter 11

**12:15pm**

**Rachel's POV – **

The car ride was fair and quiet, her hand gripped Quinn's as they drove together in Leroy's silver Volvo.

"So where am I dropping you off at? I forgot to ask in the kitchen."

"Oh right, we're just meeting up at Lulu's off of Main."

"Oh yea, I know where that is, what time do you have to be there?"

"12:30 is the scheduled time of appointment."

Rachel looked over at the blonde who was smirking wickedly now as she gripped the steering wheel. What had gotten into her?

"Quinn?"

Rachel asked curiously. The blonde turned her head to look at Rachel then, her smile was all encompassing. Rachel had to take a breath – the beauty was astounding – and then a hand detached itself from her own and snaked over to her thigh squeezing it – hard.

"Quinn!"

Rachel gasped. The blonde inclined an eyebrow in mock inclination before pulling the car over to the side of the road and suddenly without thought or hesitation pulling Rachel in for a searing kiss. Rachel's eyes flew open in both surprise and awe – her mouth was being ravaged, and she did nothing to stop it but let out minute gasps and sultry moans of appreciation.

"Quinn, we don't have time for this! I have to be at Lulu's in ten minutes at the latest!"

Rachel mumbled through occupied lips. The blonde laughed devilishly into her mouth before taking her bottom lip between perfectly white teeth. Her eyes fluttered backwards as a cool hand unbuttoned her shorts and slid beneath her underwear – it happened so quickly that Rachel jumped at the sudden pressure. She looked down to see Quinn smirking back up at her before her hands started to work inside of her small shorts.

"We…don't…have…time -"

Rachel breathed out from the passenger seat as fingers pressed in and out and around her slick entrance. And somehow this seemed even hotter than anything she'd ever done before because of the sheer spontaneity and unexpectedness of it – and there was something about fucking while still wearing all of your clothes that particularly got her off.

The blonde looked at the dashboard scanning the time. Rachel followed her gaze; 12:23 the clock read. They had seven minutes to get Rachel off and arrive at their destination, which couldn't be more than a few blocks down the road now that the brunette really thought about it.

"Keep going."

Rachel groaned before recapturing ample lips, when they parted she griped Quinn by the neck, keeping her pulled close.

"Don't you dare stop."

The minutes passed excruciatingly slowly as Rachel ascended into her climax. She came staring into hazel eyes, her body riveted by the heat and the proximity. She could feel the blonde shiver against her as she came undone with Quinn's fingers still inside of her, and then – panting – she turned to look at the clock: 12:28pm

"Shit!"

She squealed. Quinn removed her fingers and re-buttoned Rachel's shorts quickly before staring the brunette in the eye and encasing one, and then two fingers slowly into her mouth – tasting her as their eyes caught and darkened – Rachel could feel the flame re—kindling and shook her head, pushing Quinn over to the driver's seat, urging her to kick into gear.

She watched as Quinn took her seat and licked her lips before starting into first and then second as she drove down the block.

"Quinn Fabray, you explain yourself this instant!"

Rachel demanded as she tried to find a good position on the seat – her panties were wet now, and she felt extremely hot, sweaty, and uncomfortable now that their romp was over. Her cheeks burned and she ran shaking fingers through her orgasmic ally messy hair, straightening it back to its former glory. The blonde looked over at her then and raised her eyebrows in innocent question as she drove through a green light.

"What? I couldn't help myself – you look so sexy in those little shorts you're wearing."

Quinn blushed. If the blonde could be honest, after their equally frustrating shower that morning, it took most of the composure Quinn had not to corner Rachel all morning. And when the brunette had looked up at her in the car minutes before with doe-like eyes, the blonde simply couldn't refrain.

"You're such a skeeze-ball Fabray. But you're a goddamn sexy beast."

Rachel's cheeks blushed as she hit the blonde resolutely against the shoulder before both of them erupted into a fit of laughter. And now they were pulling up to Lulu's and getting out of the car, still smiling and flushed from their quickie on the front seat. If anything, that Volvo was getting almost as much action as they were.

"Let me walk you over."

Quinn whispered into Rachel's side as they approached the patio of the restaurant together. Their fingers and hands failed to touch but the electricity between them was combustible. Rachel hugged both Kurt and Mercedes, all the while painfully aware of the blonde beside her – she smiled when Quinn turned fleeting eyes on her – and when Quinn left she followed her line of vision to the car before the Volvo disengaged and sped off.

And that's when she finally looked back to the table – Kurt was leering at her and Mercedes was raising questioning eyebrows dramatically.

"So, tell me Rachel. How's your summer going?"

She heard Kurt ask from his chair. Her smile faltered slightly as she quickly realized that she was facing a new regime – These weren't her parents, or Quinn's parents (thank goodness) or Santana and Brittany, this was new terrain and she wavered on a precipice of full, partial or non-disclosure.

"It's fabulous, thank you for asking Kurt. How was yours?"

She replied inclining toward both Kurt and Mercedes as she questioned.

"Fine." They both interjected simultaneously. Their eyes never wavering from Rachel's flushed face. And then Kurt crossed his swift legs over one another, swiveling to stare directly into the brunette's now tense form.

"So…you're friends with Quinn now."

He stated. Rachel gulped when she realized that it wasn't a question but a mildly disguised admonition. Kurt lifted his chin with cooling grace as their waitress quickly appeared to take all of their drink and lunch orders. The break in conversation was quick – since they had all known what they wanted – thanks to many a lunch and dinner at Lulu's over their shared existence. When the girl had gone, Kurt turned all of his attention back on the brunette.

"I guess you could say that Kurt. But may I be frank with the both of you?"

Rachel had walked into foreign territory however she knew her opponents well. They were gossipers of the extreme variety – spreading and instigating nuances and rumors for the purpose of petty gain. And although she knew of these faults in two of her only friends – she couldn't refrain from feeling deep disappointment.

Mercedes blinked once, setting down her glass of water while Kurt kept all of his composure. The fabulous duo nodded quickly if not tepidly.

"Of course Rachel."

"For sure Thumbelina."

The term was endearing, a nickname that Mercedes often resorted to for the smaller, lighter diva – often in times of heady understanding or conversation – a stabilizer If you will. Rachel breathed a small sigh before placing her hands on the edge of the table.

"You two are singularly some of my only 'friends' at McKinley. And I use the term 'friend' broadly – simply because I consider our friendship outside of school wonderful – if not completely amicable. But at school – it most certainly is not a convenience, and it's almost as if we don't co-exist; I notice every week, but I don't judge you for it, I never have."

Kurt lowered his chin, his manicured palm dropping to the table as Mercedes nodded sadly.

"You both have your reasons – I assure you, I understand. And I look forward to a future after McKinley where I'll see you on the streets of Manhattan in passing and we'll greet each other and hug as if high school dogma never actually existed – because a real world is kinder in some ways than high school ever could be. But here is where I must be frank – and don't take this as a negative stab to either one of your characters, but listen to me,"

"You two are most of the time no better than any body at our school – sure you are at the near bottom of the hierarchy totem-pole, but you combat that insecurity with mindless gossip and ruthless fluttering of rumors. That's why I can never confide in either of you – at least not today, or next week, or even a year from now. I have eyes – I saw you staring at Quinn and me as we approached – I saw you size us up for the tabloids if you will – and yet, you know absolutely nothing. - And naturally, as most things are, it is with a perfunctory grain of salt that I take your goading - but know this, my business or Quinn's for that matter is not for anyone but ourselves, and honestly I owe you two nothing. If anything – you owe me, but whose counting?"

Mercedes gulped down the not in her throat, as Kurt sadly covered one of Rachel's small hands with one of his own. Kurt grimaced slightly as he spoke sofly and with the breeze as he stared directly into Rachel's eyes. They were clear and as peaceful as a weathered sea, floating if not studying him with far less than judgement.

"I can't say that was easy to hear Rachel. – And why tell us that now, after everything.?"

"The truth hurts sometimes – and sometimes it doesn't always present itself as clearly as one may hope. But know that I love the both of you and always will – we all have our flaws and our vices, and so who is anyone to judge or blame anyone else for theirs?"

"But Quinn 'Lina?" She's like the _reason_ the hierarchy at McKinley remains where it's at. Don't get me wrong, I love the girl – we have our own unique understanding. But you and her, friends? It's like the twilight zone for real."

Rachel smiled softly. "The universe is weird."

"True that sister." Kurt smiled in return, raising his small water tumbler in the air. The two girls quietly understood and rose their own – clinking together in the center of the table in quiet, cheers.

The brunette smiled warmly as she placed her glass back on top of the table and rose out of her seat to hug Mercedes quickly and warmly before leaning over to give Kurt a chaste, but tender kiss on the cheek. Just then the waitress returned with their lunches and refills of water – extra lemon. And their conversations took on much warmer tones and happier cadences as they ate, laughed, and trilled away at the hours.

**Santana's POV:**

**12:40pm – **

The Latina watched as her captain emerged from the silver Volvo quickly before approaching the small Deli front door. She was sitting in a booth in the back corner with B, already milking a Raspberry iced tea and Greek Salad – hold the onions. She was listening intently to Brittany talk animatedly about the difference between "A Bug's Life" and real life bugs as her eyes darted every so often to the open door.

When the blonde finally arrived, it was with rosy cheeks and slightly disheveled hair – to anyone else it looked properly messed and for lack of a better word – purposefully careless; but Santana knew better, and she knew Quinn. The blonde never was one for that messy look, and so a messy do was not her thing. The raven-haired Cheerio smiled wickedly.

"S, B."

Quinn nodded as she reached their booth taking a seat next to Brittany as she observed the blonde coloring in the pages of the kiddie placemat on the table.

"Hey, loser. So – nice hair. You look properly sexed Turtle."

Quinn scoffed – but not without blushing epically first.

"Whatever Bug, it's nothing – just a little maneuvering earlier in the car."

"Usually whenever me and San get into a car together, we do a lot of molesting too."

Santana rolled her eyes and smacked her hand to her tan forehead. Quinn arched her eyebrows.

"I said _maneuvering_ babe. Not molesting – that's kind of not appropriate, and also way too much information – as hot as the two of you may think you are – that's a pretty gross mental image."

"Oh, we maneuver too, right San? It's just you look kinda just like how San looks whenever we get done having sexy times in her jeep."

Quinn blushed again before coughing as she stared at the wall. Santana groaned before stabbing her salad with a sharp fork. She watched Brittany as the taller blonde continued circling all of the letters on the word search on her placemat with crayon, and smiled slightly – it reached her eyes.

And much in the same fashion, however much she hated the graphic images that popped into her head of Quinn most conspicuously getting her sexy on with Rachel in a vehicle – she couldn't help but smile brightly at them as well – not their shared sexual release – but just them. Quinn had always been deserving of happiness, and it was her due time to finally come of it, even if it was in the ridiculously obnoxious, annoying, midget sized, controlling package that was Rachel Berry.

And so, it was with an air of uncharacteristic grace that Santana let down her fork and addressed her captain with an open heart.

"I know I don't ever talk about my emotions – because, let's face it, I'm a bitter bitch. But I'll have you know Turtle – whether or not you're getting your Lebanese mack on with the midget in the back of her dad's car – I care about you, and I've grown to care about Berry-licious as well, but don't tell her I said that. And seeing you happy, really happy…it makes me happy. I may not show it, and I may still be a conniving, raving, violent bitch – but I love you in my own way, and I care."

Brittany looked up quickly from her word count and smiled brightly at Santana, covering a tan hand with one of her own before staring up with clear, lovely blue eyes at her other best friend. She nodded vigorously as Santana watched with clear, calm eyes before speaking as well.

"I love you too Ninja-Turtle. And I love Rachel also. And when you were sad before – all the time—it was like a thunderstorm, and it made me sad too. But now, when you look at Blueberry I see it – she's like your rainbow after the storm. I like rainbows, they're so pretty."

Quinn nodded at her two best friends – and she smiled wholly at Brittany, she faltered with emotions sometimes with Santana – but she loved the Latina, and she cared for the two of them more than anybody else could know, except for maybe them. She laughed lightly before changing the course of the conversation.

"You called me Ninja Turtle, Waff. You haven't called me the full nick-name since we were in Cheer camp."

Brittany shrugged her shoulders plainly.

"Well, when I met you – you were just like Leonardo. Kinda like our un-turtle looking, blonde leader, right?"

Quinn smiled at the statement, however fleeting the joy would soon become.

"But then once you met and saw Rachel – you were mean to her, you turned mean against everybody. And Ninja Turtles are supposed to be good – they're family right? So, it wasn't fair for me to call you Leonardo, Ninja Turtle, because you simply stopped being him."

"Instead of protecting your love for Rachel, and becoming her friend like a Ninja Turtle should do – you were mean to her. And it made me sad. And so after that summer, I changed it just to 'Turtle.'"

Quinn's eyes turned glassy; as she looked away from a puzzled quiet Santana, and an oblivious Brittany.

"I always knew you loved Blueberry – it was sooooo obvious. But I didn't tell anybody, not even San because you were hurting. Rachel was always the Donatello to our Ninja Turtle family – you just stopped stepping up to the plate Q, until now."

"I thought you named me turtle because I was slow to love my friends and open myself up to people?"

Brittany smiled – still oblivious to the emotion resonating around their trio.

"Duh Q. But you have like a whole ton of potential. It's just taken you a million years to realize it. But now that you have, it makes me happy. Especially since we can all be Ninja Turtles together! I've wanted us to be our Ninja Turtle family since I found out you loved Rachel like a century ago."

Quinn smiled watery eyes at the blonde and bumped their shoulders together before turning hazel irises up and settling on cool dark brown ones. Santana reached up a hand and wiped the pools of water settling above Quinn's cheeks quickly and silently from across the table before smiling warmly at Brittany too.

"There are four of us! Just like the Ninja Turtles! So Q's Leonardo because he's the leader – and he's strong and fearless – just like Quinn is now. Raphael is you San, because he's kinda mean and violently threatening sometimes but he's loyal, his favorite color is red just like you baby – and he's my favorite."

Santana pounded her fist quickly into the air in approval. "I'm the badass, hells to the yea suckazzz."

Quinn smiled before laughing out loud – this was unbelievable, but ultimately very charming – and it made her love her friends and her girlfriend even more for that matter.

"I'm Michelangelo!" Brittany squealed gleefully.

"He's awesome and laid back and creative just like me! And he doesn't always get the jokes, but he tells awesome ones – and he has nun chucks."

"And the last Ninja Turtle is Donatello. That's Blueberry obviously. She's always been Donatello, duh – He never likes to fight or use violence like his brothers, but he's the smartest, the kindest, and the most generous out of the whole family – just like Rachel."

They all smiled at the affirmation. Santana watched Q's eyes water again – out of pure joy of the revelation. Rachel was and always will be family – and just like that their trifecta was revealed to never have been a trifecta at all – but a beautiful lasting quartet.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

Lunch had ended early for Rachel and she called Quinn from Lulu's, the blonde picked up – and she could hear the smile across the phone, she smiled in return.

"Hey…"

"Hey sweetie, is your lunch over?"

Rachel blushed. She loved when Quinn called her Sweetie, it made her knees weak – it was a good thing she was still sitting down. She glanced up and noticed Kurt and Mercedes watching her nonchalantly – their smiles gave them away and their eyes were bright – but they were simply marveling in the exchange, happy for Rachel's happiness – not simply aching for mindless gossip.

"Yes it is actually, it was wonderful. Can you pick me up? If you're still out with Santana and Brittany don't worry about it, I just wanted to ask."

"Don't be silly Blueberry, we're done anyway. Be there in a few…I missed you."

"I missed you too babe, see you soon."

And then the phone call was over as Rachel pocketed the small device back into her purse. She was smiling subconsciously not really taking notice to how much she actually did miss the blonde – it was startling, in a very good way. Kurt was smiling at her as he began to collect his things and leave a tip for the waitress.

"I know it's none of our business—and I know that you never actually said anything pertaining to your new found friendship with Quinn Fabray. But I can look into your beautiful eyes darling—and feel nothing but envy for whatever you two have, and then he brought a hand around to grab Rachel's.

"And after seeing it, and hearing it—I would never do anything to hurt either one of you—well Quinn scares me anyway... Just know that if she ever harms you, I'll be here, and I'll make sure to send a swarm of small miniature yorkies after her in her sleep."

Rachel laughed, and shook her head in good fun, squeezing Kurt's hand in return – glad in that moment to have him as a dear friend. Mercedes joined in the laughter as she collected her belongings as well and soon the Volvo was back, and there was Quinn – gorgeous Quinn – smiling at her brilliantly as she exited the car to walk around to the passenger side facing the restaurant and leaning against the warm metal, waiting for her girlfriend patiently.

"You can't tell me that girl ain't a knockout."

Mercedes quipped before fake fanning herself as the three of them settled eyes on Quinn Fabray as she smiled radiantly towards them – only seeming to have eyes for Rachel as the brunette smiled strikingly right back.

"If she weren't Satan's spawn—I would seriously consider going anti-gay for her, and her alone."

Rachel didn't hear the banter behind her as she waved a hand distractedly saying her goodbyes as she hurried over to the car. She stood in front of Quinn and hugged her tightly – in return the blonde placed a warm fleeting kiss to her forehead before opening up the car door and ushering the brunette inside before heading over to the driver's side. She waved quickly at Mercedes and Kurt and they waved back in disbelief as Quinn closed the door, and the two sped off.

"That's one for the record books, ain't it?"

"Damn straight."

Kurt replied, as the two divas grabbed their things and linked their arms walking off down the sidewalk.

"I missed you Blueberry."

Quinn smiled deliciously from the drivers seat as one hand held the wheel and the other tangled loosely against her hair.

"Me too. What did you and S and B talk about it. Anything interesting?"

Quinn quirked an eyebrow, not sure at first whether she should tell Rachel about their conversation and it's implications – but then she shrugged her shoulders – the hell with it right?

"Actually, yes. It was sort of about you."

Rachel furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she stared back at Quinn.

"Me?"

"Yea…Brittany called me Ninja Turtle, and she hasn't called me that since we were fourteen in cheer camp and so I asked her why the change? And she basically said that, when she found out I had feelings for you way back then during that summer she envisioned all of us being friends – like the four Ninja Turtles…"

Rachel nodded her head for Quinn to continue.

"…And that was the same summer that I began to become extremely mean and vindictive – primarily towards you. Brittany was disappointed in me, and said I stopped acting 'good' per se like the Ninja Turtle I was initially meant to be…but that in the past month or two since we've been together – I turned back into brave Quinn, and that we're all the Ninja Turtle family we were originally meant to be…she even told us which ones we were."

Quinn scoffed nervously as she watched Rachel out of the corner of her eye, not sure how the brunette would take the information. Sure after the pool party during their budding friendship they had gone over how the past would remain the past – but it didn't mean that it wouldn't hurt, or that Quinn would ever stop feeling guilty. And then Rachel smiled gently as she looked out of the window.

"So…which one am I? and who is everybody else?"

"You're Donatello, Santana is Raphael – of course – B, is Michelangelo, and I'm –"

"Leonardo. How appropriate – one of the greatest thinkers and inventors of his generation, and a classic artist and poet as well, he suits you."

Quinn smiled with soft closed lips, letting her hair fan out behind her as the breeze caught it as they drove. She smiled for what she had – in that very moment if someone had asked her if she could have anything in this world, she would simply have to shake her head in the negative. Because as she looked over at Rachel, beaming right back at her from the passenger seat, she could honestly tell them that in this moment, she wanted for absolutely nothing, because quite frankly – she had everything right here.

"So, how was lunch with Kurt and Mercedes sweetheart?"

Rachel loved it when Quinn used terms of endearment – and of course she was absolutely smitten with Blueberry, but it was nice to hear the subtle change every now and again. Her cheeks flushed only slightly as she looked up into soft, hazel eyes – she momentarily got lost in them as she followed the flecks of ochre and brown, and noticed the gradient of brown closer to the irises blossoming out into fields of vibrant green – they really were gorgeous eyes, some of the most gorgeous she'd ever seen.

And then Quinn blinked – and the spell was disrupted as Rachel blinked as well, clearing her fuzzy head.

"Hey kiddo you alright? You just stared at me for about a minute – and your face got that weird puppy dog look you get when you're swooning."

And now Rachel was fully blushing, letting the waves of color creep up into her cheekbones – but she smiled shyly at her girlfriend – prepared to tell her a truth that she had always known and appreciated about the blonde.

"You have beautiful eyes. I think I just _really_ noticed how spectacular they are."

And now Quinn was blushing at the statement – growing painfully aware of her eyes as she looked down at Rachel on the carpet in the living room – she closed her eyes self-consciously as she laid her head down on the floor, smiling all the while of course.

Rachel ducked a small hand bringing it to the blonde's chin and pulled it up – making the girl open her lashes again and look back up.

"Don't close them – you my dear, are devastatingly stunning – inside and out. Believe me."

Quinn listened to her girlfriend – if anything Rachel was adamant – and kept her eyes trained on the large brown ones holding her there and she smiled. Not because she had been called gorgeous – that was nothing new, people always noticed her beauty – it was almost face value. But hearing it from Rachel, and knowing that she meant it whole-heartedly and with conviction – it was almost as if Quinn were hearing it for the first time; and then the little brunette laid her head down next to Quinn on the floor and linked their fingers as she giggled at something Quinn didn't quite comprehend.

"What's so funny Blue?"

Quinn smiled as she glanced over at an equally content brunette – their fingers interlaced as they lay down on the carpet in front of the television, staring up at the ceiling as if it were riddled with answers and beautiful complexities.

"Nothing really, I just - isn't this all just incredibly wild? I mean, you and me... Like this?"

The brunette squeezed her hand tightly then and smiled back at the ceiling, closing her eyes, reveling in her thoughts. Quinn propped herself up on an elbow and averted her gaze to Rachel, studying her face and smiling to herself as she watched the diva's breath go in and out calmly.

"Sure…but can I tell you a secret?"

Rachel quirked open an eye and smirked, it was devilishly playful and Quinn beamed down at her as she smiled back.

"I think you are the best thing that's ever happened to me Rachel Berry – the very, very best. It's indisputable." Rachel beamed back and her heart swelled, and she willed her voice not to release the three words that were bearing down so lightly on her recently captured heart, because really wasn't it all too soon. It was incredibly too soon for that truth, and so she smiled back at her girlfriend and interlocked their fingers tighter as she swooned into Quinn's warm body – finding peace, and all of it's friends there.

Quinn smiled back and her chest constricted, and her head felt light – what was this feeling, it had been following her for some time now, and the blonde would continuously run away – afraid of the collision, and the fate of her self perseverance if she sold out to her emotions completely. Because wasn't love just too much too soon? She wasn't sure – and so she did her best to evade it, hoping that her heart wouldn't deceive her.

"Will we have this, once summer ends?"

The brunette's voice held no concern, only thought and theorem as she considered their shared future past July and August. The summer haze of love and lust was sweet and bright, and filled with want and caress – but autumn brought all of the things that either girl was unequipped to face – they had never voiced their prolonged future out loud – but simply wished for it's success in silence and whispered breaths.

"All I know Blue, is that in this very moment if you got up and left me – I would fall apart. I don't think I would have survived this summer without you, and I can't envision a world without you in it, whether it be fall, winter, spring, summer, school, or vacation. I have you – and for as long as that is my singular truth, I'll bear it whole-heartedly…"

Rachel looked up with watery irises at Quinn and nodded silently, spilling her agreement and her love in a simple stare – an expression of understanding. She bit her lip self – consciously, embarrassed by her emotions, she always seemed to carry them wholeheartedly on her sleeve. She laughed as the blonde before her bent down to brush them away with her thumbs before peppering her tan face with soft, fleeting kisses.

"Rule number one Blueberry, no crying allowed!"

Quinn chanted in between kisses – her voice light and wistful as she attacked smooth skin and light freckles, she smiled as she heard Rachel giggling in between the soft caresses, swatting lightly at the blonde as she was bombarded.

"Quinnnnn! Stop!"

Rachel's words had befallen from smiling lips and held no malice or conviction – all they seemed to do was spurn the blonde on in her rampage, and now Quinn laughed out loud as she brought her hands into the mix, running them in a tickling pattern across Rachel's ribs and abdomen – cackling beautifully as she watched the brunette fall apart beneath her.

And it was right then that the blonde lost all of the composure that she had been trying so hard to reign in. The vision before her was breathtaking. She sighed inwardly as she watched in slow motion as Rachel writhed and kicked below her - a wide smile and laugh splaying brilliantly across soft cherry lips, and a slight sweaty sheen playing across the brunette's beautiful skin. Quinn smiled as Rachel's eyes flinched and blinked in excitement beneath her as she tickled her effortlessly – and Quinn knew right then and there that she was doomed. She loved Rachel Berry with every fiber of her being, and the words were on the cusp of her smiling tongue with no barrier to pause their ascension. The last time she had told Rachel that she loved her, was the day that she had been kicked out of her parents home - and although the words still held the same meaning, there was nothing truer at that moment. And it became a stamp on her heart that she would try her best to keep Rachel for as long as she could because she honestly couldn't imaging living, or breathing without her. She stopped her tickling fingers and let her hands slide against Rachel's hips, holding her still abruptly – and she smiled as she watched the brunette's small giggles taper off into a light smile, and beautiful brown eyes beaming up at her as she looked down to meet them.

The air became charged with the static of their gazes as they smiled at one another – the blonde squeezed her hands with care before lowering her face down to Rachel's eyelids, kissing them tenderly one at a time before moving to rest her lips against the brunette's ear. And before she could even think to stop her swelling heart – the words made their break, tumbling swiftly from loving lips against wanting ears.

"I can't believe my luck – I think I've fallen in love with the girl of my dreams Rachel Berry." Quinn whispered warmly, she could feel Rachel's body melt against her gripping palms and her heart almost stopped beating – She lowered her head to the brunette's shoulder, hiding her face by placing a warm kiss there – silently cursing herself for giving everything away too quickly. She fought against the tears that were wellling behind her hazel eyes – working at the lump forming in her throat as she closed her eyes to tan skin.

Rachel's heart had stopped beating - it must have because as she lay embraced within Quinn's arms on the warm carpet of her living room she was sure that all of her dreams had come true. Those simple words had broken her because they were a reflection of her very own heard and the brunette could have broken at the seams right then at their utterance – because no other words were truer than those. She smiled and closed her eyes at the happy trail of tears that were becoming her and as she felt Quinn's head fall to her shoulder and kiss her softly there – it was cemented as if written in stone. Quinn loved her, and she loved Quinn back wholeheartedly. Rachel couldn't help the laugh that bubbled in her throat as her tears came – hot and perfect as they fell down her smiling cheeks. She pulled Quinn up by the chin, surprised to see downcast eyes and red rims echoing back at her and so with everything she could muster she kissed the blonde against the lips tenderly. Smiling as their tears met – peppering the blonde with everything her heart could spare.

"Quinn. Quinn. Quinn. "

Her name was a mantra – and Rachel was whispering it over and over again as she showered the blonde in her embrace – and as Quinn opened bright eyes and finally looked down at the diva before her, her own countenance broke as she realized exactly what was transpiring. Her smile split and her eyes fell on Rachel's soft ones.

"Rachel, you – I,"

Rachel just smiled again before reclaiming the blonde's lips in a passionate display. Effectively silencing her.

"Shut up Quinn Fabray and kiss me back, because I love you…"

Quinn's heart burst at the seams– she was a goner, a drifter in a sea that was Rachel Berry – lost forever on the rolling tides, happy to have no rescuer – happy to be free. She fell into the brunette's welcoming kiss – transferring all of her love and more over and over again as Rachel whispered over and over against her soft lips in between kisses.

"I love you, I love you, I love you…"

8


End file.
